Red Georgia Clay
by Wildjump
Summary: The three Cullen brother own a huge cattle farming ranch. What will happen when they higher on a young horse woman named Rosalie and take in her little brother Jacob. Can Emmett keep his hands to himself and do his own job knowing that she is working with dangerous horses on the other end of the ranch? Em/Rose, Alice/Jasp, Ed/OC (Male). Lemons between Em/Rose. (Warning: Past abuse)
1. Chapter 1

Rosalie drove her old beat up pickup truck down the rutted red dirt road as it wound between alcoves of trees and lakes up to the pretty white plantation house with its green shudders. Dogs ran along side the half-ton of engine and metal barking their warnings to their masters of the intrusion. Rosalie looked to the right at the teenaged boy who sat in the passenger seat next to her. He was tanner than she despite the fact that the sun hardly touched him, his hair was jet black, and his eyes were smooth dark chocolate, but despite all of his coloration he had features much like her own; except for his wide gentle eyes, those were his father's. She stopped when she arrived at the clay parking lot massaging a sore spot on her lower back and opening the door she called over her shoulder "Stay in the car". She marched up the wooden stairs to the door on the far left of the house that was labeled "office" and knocked; he should be expecting her and she was right on time. There was no answer so after what she deemed to be an appropriate amount of time she knocked again this time rapping more forcefully on the wooden frame so that the screen within raddled against it.

"Hold up there ma'am don't be knockin' my door in" said a hard deep voice from behind her. At the first signs of his approach her head had snapped around quickly to stare at him and now he watched her with an eyebrow raised. He was massive, he reminded her of the stallion who would take his post on the highest hill and reserve all the prettiest mares for himself, his hair was a dirty blond color which fit the image made by his dirt smudged tan face, but the whole thing was thrown off by his clear sky blue eyes.

"I apologize sir, I was told I could meet you here." Said Rosalie.

"And you could if that damn old bull hadn't stuck my man, but he did and it aint like I can just give my other men more work so I suppose I'd be doin' it myself." That surprised her slightly, the stallion on the hill wouldn't take on another stallion's whole herd if he was hurt, one or two of the nicest mares maybe but not the whole herd. Maybe he wasn't a stallion after all, at least not the lead stallion.

"Again my apologies sir."

"Never mind come in now" he said unlocking the door and swinging it open for her. The inside of the office was musky and slightly hot, but the man flipped on a light and an AC unit and things seemed to be looking up. "Apologies for the heat we don't use the official office often. Sit." The command was more that given to a dog than a young woman, but with a sour look hidden behind her placid mask she did as he bid.

"So what's the story this time, there's always a story so might as well get it out now." He looked at Rosalie expectantly and she realized that she didn't even know his first name and he wanted her to tell her whole life story. This pissed her off. Why should she give this man everything with nothing in return, was that all men ever wanted? Then she remembered why she was here at the Cullen family ranch and sighed.

"First off sir, my name is Rosalie, but I prefer Rose. I am here in look of work."

"That aint your story girl." He said heavy muscled arms crossed in front of his chest. He looked at the girl, for she was a girl, not much older than his youngest brother, a young twenty something. She had dark brown hair that reached half way down her upper arms, her skin was tanned but only from long days in the sun, he bet under those jeans, boots, and long tunic like shirt she was as pale as fresh cream and her solid grey eyes only confirmed that suspicion for him. He had to admit though she was a bit of a sight with those red lips and a pretty little figure even if her arm muscles had a bit of an unladylike bulge to them. "I saw the boy, he was playin' with my huntin' dog like he was some sort of fuzzy house cat, you aint old enough to be his ma' so why are you really here?"

Rose sighed again her grey eyes hardening to steel "Like I said, I'm here for work, that's Jacob, my little brother,"

"No he aint, boy's Native American." the man butted in.

"Half" she said her eyes further hardening until they had a chilled quality about them. "But if it's all the same to you I love him the same either way."

"He's young why isn't he with his Ma' and Pa'? He aughta be in school not out here with his sister."

"His Ma' doesn't want him, and I don't know who his Pa' is, but my Pa' is dead, and believe me soon as we a find place to live he will be in school."

"How old are you, and he for that matter?"

"I'm 23 and Jacob is 14."

The man looked surprised, "nine years is quite a gap, although I suppose that would explain the whole half thing." He paused for a moment and looked at her his blue eyes churning like unsettled waters. "Right then what is it you think you can do here, I already have a cook, and enough maids, I have no sisters that need a woman's touch to look after, and we haven't raised goats in more than thirty years. What I need is a cattle herder and that aint you."

Rose flat glared at the man, here stormy eyes seeming to soak in and freeze all the light that strayed too near them, "I'm a horse woman mostly, but I cut cows too, and your men would be better able to cut their cows if they're horses were better at their jobs too."

The man huffed a mocking grin coming across his face as he looked over all five foot four inches of her. "No. Out." He said and stood to leave.

Rose jumped in front of him, "The chestnut mare in the pin out front, you've got a man working with her now, I saw them when I came in."

"What of it?" said the man looking as if he wished to push her out of the way but had no desire to touch such foolishness, not to mention he would never dream touch a lady with such force.

"I can train her in two weeks and have her cutting better than any of your other horses out there."

"She's dangerous, that's the third man I've had workin on her, you can't handle her."

"I can."

"You can't"

"Give me a go."

"No"

"One go, if it works your man can go back to cutting, ill get you a new horse all readied up, and if I don't you wont have to deal with me any more."

"No"

Suddenly there was a clatter of feet up the stairs and a sweaty man burst in mud smeared in every line of his aging face. "The blasted bitch of a mare socked Jimmy a good one with the back two right in his right shoulder and chest, but she wont let us get him out. Were tryin but she's kickin up a storm."

"God damn that piece of shit aint worth all this" he yelled slamming a ham sized fist against a bookshelf causing a volley of old dusty books with bindings that had never ben cracked to fall on and around him. Swearing even harder he dodged around Rose and bounded past the exhausted old man. Rose rushed out behind him knowing as well as he where the mare's round pin had been and pushing her short legs as fast as she could to get there to help Jimmy, whoever he was. When they reached the pin the man hesitated seeing the enraged mare, but Rose charged on forward seeing how frighteningly close the mare's hooves were to the mans head, if he weren't dead already he was about to be. Placing her foot on the bottom rung she launched herself over the top of the pin causing the mare the spook and spin presenting Rose with her butt and two flailing back hooves. She had been expecting this and in flinging herself over the fence she had thrown her self far left so that the mare's hooves connected with the fence where she had been just as she landed to the left of the enraged beast. Her boots' thick smack as they met with the soft red dirt floor of the pin made the mare spook and break to Rose's left. She followed it until the mare was nearing the middle if the back side of the ring and Rose stood in the center. Rose then changed directions suddenly throwing out her arms and screaming at the mare making her spin and jump in the opposite direction at which Rose ran to cut her off again. After repeating this process three or four times the men were dragging the groom's legs out of the pin and only she and the mare were left. Everyone at the scene including the men, Rose, and Jacob, who had followed after seeing his sister take off after a big man like she intended to run him down and scream at him some more, knew that there was little chance of Rose getting herself out without getting hurt and no chance of anyone helping her. The stable men, and the large man, and the small scared boy watched on as Rose continued to cut the chestnut mare back and forth making it stay on its side of the pin and protecting her own side.

Rose took one step towards the mare every time she cut across to block its path once more until she felt that another step would put her in kicking range. Finally the mare thought to trick Rose by cutting right then immediately back left again, but Rose was ready for this she had barley even registered to having seen the shift in weight and bunching of smooth muscles, but her body was already darting to cut the horse off from the left. This startled the mare and she jumped back right just a split second before Rose did too. Now Rose had her trapped in a horseshoe shaped bubble too far for the mare to kick, but without enough room for the mare to run. In panic she kicked out with both back feet repeatedly, and Rose danced back and fourth as if cutting the mare again. When she was unable to make contact the mare spun to face Rose her chocolate brown eyes tight with fear and her whole sweat-soaked body quivering, she reared up screaming her fear and Rose raised her arms and yelled at the top of her lungs at the mare. She grounded herself again and without breaking eye contact with Rose and stood shaking for long moments simply looking at her. No one dared to breath, not even the out of breath Rose until slowly, ever so slowly, she turned on her heal and walked to the edge of the wooden round pen and climbed shakily through the rungs of the fence and onto the soft grass that sat outside the mare's pin. She allowed herself to simply plop down on the grass just outside the fence and she saw out of the corner of her eye the mare begin to lick and chew still watching her just before Jacob and the large man ran to her and started the mare into her antics again.

Jacob reached her first clamping his shaky arms around her shoulders and whispering a thank you to God in a native tongue. The man reached her furry written on his face and in every line of his bulging muscles, he yanked her off the ground and his aqua eyes blazed like they were lit on fire as the met hers of molten silver ones. He sighed and dragged her along behind him yelling at them men to "get Jimmy to the hospital and leave the damn mare alone" and jerking his head signaling Jacob to follow him. The adrenaline pumping through Rose's system made her shake and her knees were weak so the large man picked her up bridal style and stomped up the front porch and into the house Jacob and the myriad of dogs trailing behind. He stomped up the first flight of stairs with her and she was too dizzy and tired to argue with him. She saw as a slighter, lankier man stick his head out of one door to ask the man a question, but he suddenly quieted and followed their party in worry as they made their way up the second flight of stairs. By his dark blond hair and tan skin Rose guessed he was one of the other Cullen brothers, but she did not no which, just as she did not know the name of her carrier. He kicked open the door too a room on the third floor with his foot and Rose flinched when it slammed against the opposite wall. He lay her down in a bed there and she was surprised by the gentleness with which he handled her despite how rough he was with everything else.

"Are you hurt?" he asked his tone short and clipped.

"nah" was all she had energy for.

"Then sleep" he commanded shoving his brother and my Jacob out of the room before quietly shutting the door.

Well, she thought, I guess it's better than him kicking me out with no job, and what else will I do now. So she slept.


	2. Chapter 2

It was dark out when she woke, the first thing she noticed was that she was on top of a pluff cream and green comforter, defiantly much nicer than she and Jacob could afford right now. Groaning she sat up and felt a hand on her shoulder, it was Jacob's.

"It's okay Rose were at Mr. Cullen's house."

"Oh god" I groaned remembering how pissed he was probably gunna be.

"He said he'd be in the study if you woke up sis."

"Ok, Jacob, thank you, get some sleep I'll go find him."

He nodded and wriggled under the comforter that I had compressed. I wandered out of the room realizing I didn't know where the library was, but figuring that I would just start poking my head into rooms until I did. By the time I got down to the second floor I poked by head into yet another bedroom, the 8th so far, and saw a slim lanky man sitting on the side of his bed looking at a picture in a metal frame that he held in his hands. He looked up suddenly and smiled kindly.

"Oh sorry" I said trying to back out of the room, but he stood and gestured me into the room setting the picture face down on his pillow.

"Nonsense, Rosalie is it?" I nodded "Ah good well I'm Jasper Cullen the middle brother of the household, I hear we have you to thank for our man Jimmy's life. We are in your debt, you are indeed a brave young woman." He bowed and taking her hand in his own kissed it. He was the man from earlier, his hair was blond and more neatly kept than his older brother's, his skin was less tanned by the sun, but still tan as his genes were want to be, but his eyes were a green brown that started as milk chocolate in the middle and spread to a dark forest green.

"Oh it was nothing" She stuttered trying to be polite, but pull her hand out of his grip all the same. "I was actually looking for your brother and the library." She confessed.

"Ah, two doors down on your right, but Rosalie please let me tell you, my brother has a temper and a protective nature, particularly towards women, our mother was lost to an accident with one of her horses, he still blames himself, and the horse. Know that if he is harsh on you it is simply that you remind him of his mother and he worries."

Great Rose thought a big baby with mommy issues just what I needed, but aloud I said, "well that's good to know thank you Mr. Cullen."

"My pleasure, you have a good night."

"You too, I'll grab the door"

"Thank you" he said turning and heading back to his bed and the picture he so reverently lay there.

As she turn to close the door she saw Jasper once again touch the photo, but through the groan of the door she herd him whisper "Come home Alice" before the door shut completely. She walked past two doors and took the one on the right opening it slowly into a massive library all of deep brown wood with a warm fire blazing and cream-colored furniture. She slipped in the door and closed it behind her not wanting to wake whoever might be sleeping in this huge house. The eldest brother was standing in the corner staring into the fire a glass what Rose thought to be whiskey in his hand. Great he's been drinking she thought. Slowly and quietly she walked towards him as if not to spook him, but she knew it was inevitable that she would since he hadn't noticed her yet no matter what noise she made it would make him jumpy. So she decided to continue to pad towards him and stand with the couch between them before she said meekly "Sir".

As she had expected he jumped and spun on her, "Rosalie " he said relaxing slightly but that relaxation was soon followed by the anger she had seen in him earlier. Rose smoothed out her hair around her shoulders to make sure that it covered the right side and back of her neck fully; it was a nervous habit. "What were you thinking" he half breathed half yelled at her taking a huge stride closer so that there was just the couch between them. Instinctively she flinched backwards and took two skittering steps to her left before freezing to watch for the tell tale sign that he would strike out at her.

"That your man needed help, and I could help him and the mare both."

"And if that bitch of a mare killed you? Then what? What of your brother?"

"I… I… I don't know, I just… I knew she wouldn't… and what if he killed your man? Doesn't he have family too?"

"Just knowing is not enough," he said harshly stepping around the sofa and closer to her. She didn't move, not because she trusted him, but because unlike the mare she was broke and she knew it, he would do what he wanted and she had neither hooves nor teeth worthy of preventing it. "and my man's family is his business and mine. I don't need some mouse of a woman jumping in with a blasted pissed off mare trying to play the cowgirl."

"Well it worked didn't it?"

He grabbed her by the shoulders with the intention of making her look at him and hear what he had to say, "Your immature, unpredictable, irresponsible, under qualified, and flat out crazy," but by the end of it he was shaking her with infacis at every accusation. Rosalie was frozen in his too tight and rough grasp, his fingers wrapped all the way around her biceps and she new from experience that fighting would only earn her bruises. Growling his frustration he released her and watched as she sat frozen as a statue in front of him. He sighed and went to put a hand on the top of her shoulder in an apologetic manner, but a scar brushing against his fingers made him pause. Freezing with his fingertips on the back of her neck he slowly stepped forward, and when she stood statuesque in horror at his discovery he brushed back a curtain of bronze hair with an overly large, but gentile hand. He let his other hand trace a finger down the long jagged scar that he saw from the back of her right earlobe to the middle of her spine where it disappeared down into her tunic top. She shudder as his warm calloused finger traced that ugly scar, and it sent a flutter of shivers through her as he ran his finger back up it. Then he cupped the back of her neck with his warm palm and made him look up at her. "Be more careful next time ok? I don't want my horsewoman getting herself hurt and if you would rather not deal with that mare I understand you need only come talk to me and I will find another project for you. You can come to me for anything you need and if you can't find me just ask for Emmett, that's what all my employees call me. We can discuss living arrangements for you and the boy in the morning but for now you should sleep." Feeling the tension in her he let his hand drop to his side as he spoke, she was like a little filly ready to spook at the first word from her mamma or mamma's stallion. She reminded him so much of a horse at that moment in fact that he said "Don't worry girl it's gunna be ok" and reached to pat her hair at which she dogged his hand.

"Where shall I sleep tonight?" she asked.

"My brother Jasper and I take house on the second floor, where as my youngest brother Edaward lives on the third across from where your Jacob is sleeping you are welcome to any empty room on either floor for now, but tomorrow I am afraid we will have to move you out of the house, pretty young thing like you in such a small town; well people talk" she just nodded and without a word or even any sign of joy at having a place to live and a job she walked out of the room.

After she shut the heavy wood door he looked down into his whiskey glass swirling it absent mindedly as he considered everything that he had just learned about this new girl. In frustration at the day's happenings, and anger at himself for how he had treated her he through the glass against the hearth and the fire spluttered up to devour the delicious fuel. Damn it, he though, how could I have been so bull headed, how could I not have seen it? Clearly she's been abused, that scar on her neck the way she froze under his hands, she way she spooked like a beaten horse when he first approached her on the porch. Someone, a someone who's neck he very much wanted to break at the moment, had hurt her and there came he grabbing her and trying to work some since into her like he did his men, but she wasn't one of his men, for one he had never been so afraid in his life then when he watched her turn her back to that good for nothin creature and walk slowly towards the fence line. He had wanted to grab her, haul her over the edge, hold her to him, it was so like what it had been with his mother and some part of him felt that if he protected her from the same fate he could prove to himself once and for all that it really was his own fault and stop wondering, but he hadn't tried for fear of getting her killed. It was also that none of his men had been abused before, they were all strong young farmer's sons crowding around for a bite of glory. After all Emmett was almost thirty and wifeless, Jasper was in love with an army girl who was at war over seas, and Edward was twenty-four, and never had so much as a summer crush in his life. No one saw an heir coming and every farmer in the state and even a few out were sending their younger sons to come stake a claim on one of the biggest most profitable ranches in America.

When Rose heard the shattering of a glass break the silence of the hall she stopped aimlessly wandering the halls and sprinted up the stairs to the room where her little Jacob slept soundly in the bed. She shut the door and curled up in front of it to sleep blocking them in. She wanted to be the first to know if the crazy drunk ass hole that was now her boss came in to her bedroom at night, at least then she could tell Jacob to run. Closing her eyes she trembled and shuddered to sleep at last.


	3. Chapter 3

It was bright out when Rose felt the door open against her side turning she slammed both hands and feet into the door barring it shut. When she heard a female squeal at the attack however she felt foolish and stood to open it for the poor serving girl. She opened the door to reveal the girl who stood with neatly pinned hair in a pair of soft slippers and a simple crisp clean cream collared dress with a green satin ribbon running beneath her bust to a large bow in the back.

"Apologies ma'am, but Emmett has asked that you and the boy be headed down stairs bout now to have some breakfast and talk about what he's gunna do with you."

"Uh, ya, ok um is there somewhere we could go to freshen up?"

"There aren't many indoor bathrooms here because the building is so old, there is one in every master bedroom, and off the ballroom which is always locked unless in use, and the one off the kitchen. Emmett offered to allow you to use his if you feel the need to freshen up, but do not wish to go through the kitchen first to get there."

Rose considered whether using his bathroom, or having to see him before she freshened up would be worse, and opted for the scenario where she could avoid him. She woke Jacob and followed the serving maid into first Emmett's room then bathroom. What she saw surprised her, his room was neat, but simple. There was a cherry wood headboard and bed frame with a black and white comforter and two soft practical pillows, there was a small couch facing yet another fireplace and a table in the corner in front of a hanging mirror held more whisky and glasses. Everything was in the same black and red and cherry wood, except for the lamps that were scattered around with silver stands and necks and steel grey lampshades embroidered with the same shining silver. The bathroom too was neat one corer of the sink area held a strait razor and shaving cream brush on a silver stand next to a silver bowl, and the other held a toothbrush and a bar of soap. Everything else must have been in drawers, because with the exception of the shampoo in the free standing glass shower, and the two neatly folded black towels embroidered with a silver E on the towel rack there was no sign that this room was occupied.

"He's much cleaner than you sis" Jacob laughed as he noticed Rose looking around.

"He probably has the maids do it for him" She rebutted attempting to flatten out her hair and make it stand proper, but giving up and slinging it into a braid that snaked over her left shoulder.

"No ma'am" Said the maid who was still in the doorway, "we clean and fix his linens, but he does not allow us to move his things, he is very particular, just the towels and bed sheets, we dust and sweep the wood and tile floors, but no more."

"See sis don't worry he wouldn't have you anyway your too messy for him" the girl giggled and Rose scowled at him.

"No one needs to have me but you and me, and just till your old enough not to need a Ma' anymore then I'm gunna sit my ass down here and send you to college on the horse money I'll be making your too damn smart not to go."

Jacob hugged her and kissed her cheek and she went about flattening his hair and making him presentable for her new employer. After they had finished they followed the maid back out to the hall and Rose watched her feet this time as the smoky grey tile of the bathroom changed abruptly into the cherry wood floors, and then the lighter color that the rest of the house was set in. They followed her to the kitchen and Rose looked up just before the maid opened the door.

"Ah, brother, come in our house guests have arrived for breakfast" said Jasper smiling warmly as Rose ushered Jacob into the room in front of her, he was sipping orange juice and reading the paper a thin pair of wire rimmed glasses on the bridge of his nose; Rose smiled back at him. Then Emmett came in carrying a plate of toast and eggs and bacon followed by maids carrying plates knifes forks and glasses of orange juice for everyone else.

"Sit" he commanded shortly "I don't have all day, I'm down another man and you're no help at all." Rose sighed to herself she hoped he paid damn good money if he was going to treat her like this all the time.

She sat at the table nonetheless as Jasper glared at his brother. "I do know how to split grain, and haul hay, and cut cows, and muck stalls you know, not to mention anything to do with horse care and training, I am sure you could find some way to make me useful."

"Yes, well, we'll see" he said his eyes and mind seemingly focused on his eggs, which he was gulping down by the shovel full.

Little did she know that in his head he was berating himself for once again being so nasty towards her, but she really wasn't what he needed right now, he needed hardened men, ones he didn't care about, ones who's families wouldn't be in debt if they were gone or hurt, he had to be careful with her, and he wasn't a careful man.

"Well I for one think that we should find these two fine younglings somewhere to stay." Said Jasper soothingly.

"Not here" Said Emmett.

"Oh?" questioned Jasper his green brown eyes turning hard as they rested on his brother's blue ones despite the playfulness of his voice.

"She's a girl and a ranch hand she can stay with one of them, and the boy is just a kid, he doesn't belong here, there haven't been kids here in years, even Edward's half a man now."

"Well I think that it would be a perfectly acceptable idea for Rosalie to live with the serving maids in the mother-in-law mansion beside the house, but I wont have her put in the hands' quarters with more than twenty unmarried men." Said Jasper.

"Do what you want with me" Rose said looking between the men before settling her gaze on Jacob, "but Jacob is a quiet studious boy, he will be going to the nearest high school as soon as may be and I would like for him to stay here with me, but if he has to live outside of the property I will need enough in pay for a small apartment and cloths and food and such for him, but he can't be thrown in with a bunch of other boys his age it just doesn't work."

Emmett huffed and rolled his eyes, but Jasper's already polite smile grew. "Ah, a boy after my own heart" he said looking at Jacob before turning his attention to Emmett "You know Emmett, I've been meaning to get an interpreter, I can't understand the men half the time and they don't seem to understand my English nearly as well as your own, maybe if this young lad here would be so kind as to interpret for me, when he isn't studying or at school of course," he said nodding in my direction, "He could have the room next to mine, he could eat here with us and I could pay him a small salary for his work and help him bank away for college? You do speak Spanish don't you boy?" Rose beamed at the younger man as his brother watched him suspiciously.

"Yes Sir." Said Jacob nodding enthusiastically.

"That's fine, your responsible for him Jasper, I won't have him getting in my way." Said Emmett not looking at Jacob. Emmett got up and as he was walking away said "Girl, get your stuff move into one of the rooms with the other girls, they will show you the way work starts at 7am sharp in the stables don't be late." And with that, the screen door was slamming behind him and his boots were pounding heavily down the porch steps.

Jasper chuckled and started to serve everyone else breakfast, "Don't you two worry about him he's just grumpy and stressed, he gets better I promise. He is responsible for keeping this place up and running, oh yes I run the numbers and make sure everyone gets paid but no one comes to me in the middle of the night over a sick cow I'll tell you that much. This is also all he has ever known, as you might be able to tell I, like my younger brother after me, am university educated, I am the financial manager just as my younger brother is the external business manager, who we sell our meat to and all that sort of thing. Emmett never had that chance, our father died just as he was old enough for college so he didn't go, and it's Emmett who really keeps this place afloat. If you can touch it, it's his property and his responsibility. Our parents were smart you see they wanted all three of us to keep this place afloat so they gave me all the money, Edward the ranching business along with a few other ventures that we have, and gave the properties and everything on them to Emmett. Without me the others are broke and unable to stay afloat, without Edward we are no longer Cullen Industries Cattle and Co. but simply a large reputationless farm, and without Emmett we are simply a name and a pile of cash with no way of making more."

"So you all have to stick together no matter what, three men, three brothers, each independent owners of the three most important aspects of a business: the capital, the venture, and the property where both capital and venture are created." Said Jacob in fascination with the ideas behind all of it.

"That's right Jacob," he sent a fatherly smile the boy's way, "I would be happy to show you your room if you want to start moving in, I could maybe even have the ladies show you where your sister will be if you want to start preparing the rooms while I take Rosalie here to the High school so that we can sign you in and do some paperwork." He nodded and a woman came out of the shadows and started to lead Jacob away.

"Come on then Rosalie let's go" Said Jasper standing.

"Um, Jasper,"

"Yes?"

"If you don't mind, I prefer Rose it's simpler."

"Of course Rose." They walked out to where the cars were parked and she set the key to her truck on top of the back left tire, Jacob would know where to look. She swallowed hard looking at the back of the car and their few positions that were inside, it was all they had now, a couple of hastily packed bags. She worried as she climbed into Jasper's silver sports car and closed the door behind her, this wasn't going to be so easy as signing some paperwork and being on their marry way, she sighed.

"Is everything quite alright Ms. Rose?" Jasper asked.

"No" She whined under her breath, but he had heard her and slowed the car looking at her. "No, no one has told me yet what I will get paid, that's what's wrong." She covered quickly.

Jasper laughed "Wondering if it's worth putting up with my darling brother?" he asked still chuckling. "Well along with room and board, and uniforms, which for you will be jeans, boots, a hat or two, and whatever top you and Emmett seem fitting, along with sturdy working gloves and winter cloths, you will also be given a salary of fifteen dollars an hour, however if you are training and turning out good horse, you will be paid by the horse for their worth minus your wage and the cost to buy the beast in the first place. The appraisal of worth will be made by a third party professional who we have found to be particularly fair even at times when we wish he weren't. Training can be a bit of a risk, because there could be hours that you work that you won't get paid for if you turn out a bad horse, but you will always be doing other things too to make some wages from, and you can refuse to train a horse if you don't feel it isn't capable of being a good horse, too dangerous, or not worth your time. Do this too much after Emmett has bought them and he will either start taking you to the auctions, or fire you depending on the work that you do with the ones you keep. That's what happened to our last, he got lazy and stubborn and Emmett was sick of getting suck with bad horses since the man had no eye for horseflesh. The horse men, or I suppose women, here either make it rich and leave us after a time, or get themselves fired, we don't mind paying out the nose but we had better be bleeding into a gold bowl not one made of brass and tin." Rose smiled and giggled at the analogy. She had decided that she liked the middle brother, and was glad that he would be the one to pay her wages not Emmett, but the fact that he could fire her was unnerving.

"So Emmett can just fire whomever he likes?" she asked her worry clear.

"Not quite," Jasper chuckled "He has to tell both me and Edward if he wants to fire someone one week before he does so. In that week each of us has the right to oppose his decision, and the third gets the final call. Most often its all left to him because, hot headed though he is, he tends to be good with the men, and the women are easier to replace than to deal with him in a tuft, but we have the right and have used it only twice before. Edward really wants nothing to do with the place, he's a businessman, well he wants to be, he's a little lost as of late, but he's just young. He graduated from university two years ago and has been traveling since. 'Widening our markets' he says, but not much has come of it, I think he just needs to find himself, this was never really his place, but lucky for him his side of the job contains a lot of travel so he'll figure it out."

They were pulling into the school parking lot and Rose's eyes grew wide as saucers and her face paled, this was it; would the lady at the desk call the cops, would Jasper?


	4. Chapter 4

AN: Ok guys sorry this is so late in coming i keep forgetting. I OWN NOTHING that you recognize from anywhere else. A little about me: I am a down home country horse girl who was forced to live in the city and become "Respectable Folk" so now I'm in college secretly trying to get into vet school to be an Equine (horse) Vet while telling my family i want to be a Doctor. Love horses, and Romances and know a ton about the first and can daydream about one day having the latter. I have 40,000 words already written jus so you know. so then here you go :)

As she got out of the car Jasper came around and offered her his arm, "The principle knows me here, I graduated here myself along with my dad and all my brothers, I've brought a few of the worker's kids around here before." He smiled at me and I took his arm as he walked me through the glass doors into the ugly concrete building.

"Morning Martha, this is Rosalie, she is looking to enroll her brother here, they have come to work on the ranch with us." Jasper introduced her to the plump lady behind the desk. Jumping from her stupor she leapt up quickly and shoving Rose out to the way gave Jasper a huge hug. The momentary look of confusion and surprise on his face told Rose that Jasper did not know this woman well enough to warrant such a reaction from her, but he soon smiled and clapped her on the back until she released him.

"Oh of course JayJay, Mrs. Crump is right this way dearie." Jasper chuckled a look of amusement in his eyes as she took his limp arm as if he had offered it to her. Jasper looked back over his shoulder to where Rose had been so unceremoniously pushed aside.

He held his unoccupied hand out to her and said "Rose?" She took it and bustling receptionist on one arm and Rose in hand the lot were dragged to the appropriate office by Martha.

"Now you just sit your pretty little self down right here Mr. Cullen, and I'll go fetch Old Crumpy." The woman grinned a plump smile showing a little too much lipstick stained teeth and bustled off.

"Old friend?" Rose asked Jasper amused.

He sighed "On the contrary, a new admirer if I had to guess, no one has called me JayJay since I beat that brat's teeth out in the sixth grade, and I doubt Madam Crump would appreciate her new nickname either."

Rose giggled at his doubtful, slightly flustered look. Jasper turned and glared at her, but quickly followed it up with a smile and a wink.

Madam Crump, a small white haired lady in her 60s or so, walked in shutting the door behind her. "Mr. Cullen, How do you do?" She asked him shaking his hand and then Rose's.

"Well Mrs. Crump and yourself?"

"Oh fine, fine my boy."

"Good to hear, Mrs. Crump, this is Rosalie," he hesitated for a moment expecting her to input her last name, but when none was forthcoming he continued, "She wishes to enroll her younger brother." Crap, Rose thought, I haven't thought of a last name for us yet.

"Well Ms." Again there was a pause, but when no last name followed Mrs. Crump continued slightly off beat, "Rosalie, what year will your brother be?"

"A freshman ma'am"

"And how old is he?" she said pulling out a piece of paperwork and filling in some blocks.

"14 ma'am"

"Alright and do you have his transcripts?"

"Well ma'am he was, uh homeschooled."

"Oh" she looked up at Rose for a moment before looking back down, "Then his homeschool certificate for the completion of middle school please." She held out her hand expectantly.

"Well, you see, he wasn't in an official program, he um, well I felt the need to push ahead his education beyond the normal track so I taught him myself." Mrs. Crump looked up from her paperwork, sighed and set her small glasses down on the table leaning back in her chair to look at Rose.

"There are homeschool programs designed for such individuals." She said suspiciously.

"Well Ma'am, you must understand when I took him in two years ago as my own, well Ma'am, I was young."

"Well I suppose we could just test him, may I see your paperwork of legal guardianship please."

Rose froze her heart in her throat, how was she going to explain this one away. "He is my brother, with no other living relatives, I don't need paperwork."

"In fact my dear you do." Said the woman sternly. Jasper was looking at her with a very guarded look on his face. Oh dear God please get me out of this one somehow, Rose thought.

"Oh, but of course Mrs. Crump how could I have been so foolish, the paperwork was lost, but I am in the process of getting new made considering her new position at our famed establishment, I will have them in the office tomorrow if you will leave the paperwork of enrolment to me I will be happy to fill it out and return it to you tomorrow along with the proper paperwork and the boy to take aptitude tests if you would be so kind." Jasper covered smoothly as Rose fought not to stare wide-eyed at him in a combination of wonder and horror.

What was he thinking, was he going to use this against her later? With pursed lips Mrs. Crump handed over the paperwork. Jasper thanked her and promised once again that the paperwork would be delivered tomorrow. As he led a petrified Rose out of the building and helped her into the car he was quiet all the while thinking.

"So I think some lunch is in order no?" said Jasper conversationally but Rose knew it was not an invitation, it was an order. He drove to a near by Italian food place and waited until they were seated at the table and the waitress had taken their orders to really look at her. He looked into her almost black eyes remembering how they had shown like molten silver only this morning and sighed.

"Are you going to tell me?"

"No, are you going to fire me?"

He sighed again, but wearily this time. "No, but I need something."

"I love him, his is biologically my half brother, he would rather be with me than other options, I can and will care for him, and I will never let anyone make him feel as if he is not the smartest most worth boy in the world, ever, because he is. Is that enough?"

Jasper looked at her hardened face and razor sharp eyes and puzzled over her for a minute or two. "Yes" he said, "but I will have to draw up official paperwork on him for the schools, they can't let in a ghost."

"Well they can't have him ether, not the real him."

"Why not? What has he done that is so bad?"

Rose slammed her hands down on the table in a sudden burst of anger "He hasn't done a God damn thing but be born to a whorish good for nothing bitch and all hell breaks loose on him for it every day."

"Easy Rose, sit down we will figure this out, I promise." Said Jasper soothingly placing his hands on top of hers as much to comfort as to prevent her from storming out. "What will we do about paperwork then, children's protective services will want your full name, and his and his background and birth certificate and DNA and yours you can't get out of this without telling someone something, if there's someone after him, or you for that matter, they can help, we can help." Jasper's brown green eyes were emeralds and smoky amber now as he watched the young troubled woman in front of him, not so young, he thought, maybe only two or three years younger than his Alice.

"No, they can't help us, we don't need help, there's no one after us, we don't need people in our business. We will just have to find a way to get him in without all that, I can't teach him anymore I never finished high school, he's too smart, and he needs to be around people his own age and be able to get into college and make a life for himself. Is there any other way?"

"One" said Jasper after long moments of thought. Rose looked at him expectantly and he sighed, he was too old for this he thought, all though in what world 27 was too old he was not sure. "I will have to confer with my brothers first, I will not vote to fire you, but they must have the knowledge and the right, but if they agree to keep you, we can forge papers for you and the boy, I know a man."

Rose thought for a minute then nodded "Ok" she said as lunch was served.

When they got home Rose went to her new room to put her things away with the promise to Jasper that she would then go up to Jacob's new room and wait there until dinner was called.


	5. Chapter 5

Jasper went into his study and poured himself a glass of red wine before taking a seat in the high backed chair before the window overlooking the car park and the field that lead to the horse barn and round pin that held the chestnut mare. He watched the mare dance nervously from side to side even when left alone and wondered what had happened to her to make her so wary of the world, for no mare is so jumpy by nature. This train of thought led him to Rose and Jacob. He had taken a liking to the young boy already, and had a great deal of respect for Rose, but he worried about what had made her so jumpy too, and what made the young boy look at her with those wide dark brown eyes as if she were an angel pulling him from the depths of hell. He didn't know what was wrong with these two, but he was convinced that all they wanted was an honest life, and the chance that everyone deserved to live it to the fullest. He had to help them, but he was worried that his brothers would not feel the same. His end of the job was easy, there was a not so small fortune left to him upon his mother's death, and the business was in good working order to keep making more, which he split, as the will had decreed, with his other brothers. He had little to loose on his end, he was smart enough not to spend frivolously, and he trusted his brothers to have good business since and not enter them into any ventures they could not handle, even if they did all he had to do was cut off the funding to it and watch it wither and die. The company could heal such a wound quickly enough, but Emmett had the ranch to worry about and if there were people on the run from the law on his property it could be taken from him, and Edward had the business to worry about, the fake papers would crash the company image if it was ever linked back to them. Jasper thought for long moments until there was a rap on the door.

"Come in" he said.

A serving girl opened the door and said, "Mr. Jasper sir, you are back, Emmett asked me to inform him of your return, do you wish that I pass on a message when I go to do so?"

"Ah yes, if you please my dear could you go tell the nearest man you find of my return and ask him to go personally my brother and unless someone or something is dying to come up to my office, I know how you ladies detest getting in the dirt out there so you shouldn't bother going yourself."

"Yes sir" she said closing the door and thinking of how much she liked Mr. Jasper, and he was good looking too, it was truly too bad that he was so fond of that army twat, maybe she would die over seas after all.

It was almost twenty minutes before Jasper saw a sweat lathered horse carrying his massive older brother top the hill by the chestnut mare's paddock and send her skittering to the far side of the pin, and another ten before he was barging into Jasper's office unannounced.

"What is it this time brother? A stray cat?" Emmett asked sardonically, but in all honesty despite the amount of work to be done he was glad to be in the cool air of the house a serving girl bringing him a glass of iced tea.

"Of sorts actually" Chuckled Jasper and Emmett raised his eyebrow. " It seems our Rose"

"Rose?" Emmett interrupted.

"Rosalie prefers to be called Rose" explained Jasper patiently and continued, "It seems our Rose is a bit of a stray cat herself. She cannot produce paperwork on Jacob of any kind; she refuses to be entered into the child protective systems even though her job here and the boy's willingness to stay with her would be more than enough to give her custody. Emmett, she won't even give her last name."

Emmett huffed and frowned, "As I expected."

"Well brother I have offered fake papers to her for Jacob and I suppose for herself too so that we can hire her, but I had to come to you and Edward first, you have the right to fire her."

"No" said Emmett rather more forcefully and abruptly than Jasper had expected. When Jasper cocked an eyebrow at him Emmett continued, "No, give her the paperwork give her what she needs, whatever she needs; it's fine."

"Emmett do you know what she is running from?" Jasper asked suspiciously.

"No, but I know that if I were her, I'd be runnin' too." He said remembering the jagged scar on the back of her neck.

Jasper nodded not knowing what had made his brother so adamant about this, but not willing to look a gift horse in the mouth as the saying went.

After several hours in Jacob's room making him look over some books that Jasper had loaned him a maid came to get them for supper. They washed their hands and faces in the bathroom beside the kitchen just as they had seen Emmett do the day before and then took their seats at the empty table. Before long Jasper and Emmett walked in one after another, washed up, and sat down across from them.

"Well" said Jasper, "Jacob we have your paperwork all ready, I will take you into school tomorrow for your testing, and then the bus will pick you up at seven fifteen from then on after." Rose let out a sigh that she hadn't known she had held and it felt as if the house had been lifted from her shoulders and placed back upon the ground around them. Jasper smiled at her and to her surprise even Emmett's face twitched at the corners into a small grin and little baubles of sapphire light seemed to dance in his aquamarine eyes, it made him look almost handsome and likeable… almost.

After dinner Jacob followed Jasper up to his room to do some work for him, and Emmett walking up the stairs behind Rose grabbed one of her hands making her spin and jerk it back. He raised both of his hands in font of him as if to show he meant her no harm then said, "I have your uniform in my room, I looked at the size of your old boots and had a girl go into town and buy new ones, I also have a belt and some shirts and a couple of hats for ya, I didn't buy you any jeans but there'll be a hundred a month for uniform repairs and such, and a whole new set for you come winter; come have a look." He ushered her into his room, and she saw two pairs of boots, one light brown and another dark brown, two hats of similar colors to the boots, two belts to match the sets, and two belt buckles, like what she had seen the men wearing, but smaller. One was a silver colored emblem that was the logo of their ranch, and the other was the mark made by their ranch's cattle brand. It was the shirts that interested her though, she did not know what to expect being that she was a woman, they were a light breathable, but not see-through cotton. The front was a V, deeper than what she would normally wear, and she glared at him, she was no shrew, but she had shapely breasts and did not feel the need to share them with the world.

"It gets hot, trust me, you'll thank me, but before you chop my head off go put one on in the bathroom there, I'll wait out here."

She did as she was bid picking up the red one hoping to make her point even more obvious and stomped into the restroom. She stripped and quickly pulled the top over her head, something felt funny on her neck as she pulled her hair out of her collar, for there was a collar. Not an ordinary folded collar though this one went strait up the back of her neck all the way to her hair line and sloped down into the v of the shirt, she now realized why the V had to be so low for her to get her head in. Still, she thought, she might have preferred buttons, or no collar at all for it felt weird on the back of her neck but really the shirt wasn't so low, only revealing half of the crest of her breasts not the three quarters that most women with a bosom her size would usually prefer. The bottom of the shirt caught her attention now too as she tried to finger the hem and found it around her thighs like her tunic that she had just removed. In fact very much like her tunic this shirt was loose, apart from the bodice, and fell to the middle of her thighs with a slit on each side to the middle of her hip to make sure that her movements were not hindered, but no matter what she did, ride, reach, anything, not so much as a sliver of her back would show. This confused her, no one had this for a normal uniform; she was quite unique among Caucasian women in fact in wearing the Middle Eastern and Asian style garment. Emmett must have noticed my shirt yesterday and bought these special, but heavens knows where he found them here.

Rose stepped out of the bathroom in her new shirt looking at Emmett with wary grey eyes. Those eyes froze to steel as she saw that he was holding out a hair brush, its packaging on the floor by his bed, and a hair band, its fellows sitting upon her stack of black, red, and grey shirts. She gulped as she took a step back shaking her head no.

"It's ok" He said taking a few short steps towards her until all six foot seven inches of him were only a few inches away from her. She could feel the warmth radiating off of him, and smell his woody clean scent as he reached out and put his had on the back of her neck as he had done in the library the night before, but this time there was a layer of cloth between his hand and the scar on her neck. "I know" he said fluttering his thumb over the exposed edge of her scar just below her earlobe. His touch on her sensitive scar, so seldom touched, particularly by another, made her shiver a little although it caused her no physical discomfort nor was she chilled. She looked up, way up, into his eyes, which were flickering blue flames once again. The draw she felt to them was so strong that she pulled her own molten silver ones away and down to the brush and hairband that he now held in his free hand, taking them from him and careful not to whack his hand that he still had against the back of her neck stroking the edge of her scar almost soothingly, she brushed her hair up and into a high ponytail on the back of her head. He released her neck and took her hairbrush free hand leading her into the bathroom where her discarded shirt lay on the floor before the mirror. He opened a drawer and handed her a hand held mirror, which she could only imagine he used for shaving. She turned her back to the large mirror and held the small one up to inspect the back of her neck and her hair. There was still as thin white scar peaking out between her hairline and her earlobe, but with a flick of his finger Emmett set her ponytail to swinging, and through the bob of reddish brunet hair the thin white line seemed almost like an illusion of the light and no more. She looked up at him wonder and gratitude in her eyes and he smiled a small but genuinely warm gesture that made her heart flutter for a moment before he turned and walked out of the bathroom.

Rose glanced in the mirror one last time before laying it softly on the counter, collecting her dirty shirt from the immaculate floor, and walking back into Emmett's bedroom. He stood by his bed stacking up her new cloths she walked over to him placing a small hand on his massive forearm, "Thank You." She said looking up into his face, his eyes met hers and he smiled once more handing her the stack of cloths then bending to pile the boots on top.

"In the barn at seven o'clock sharp, breakfast is in the worker's mess at 6:30, but since you haven't been introduced and I don't want them eating you up before I get there. You had best be down at the house by 6:15 to see Jasper and Jacob off and have some breakfast before I walk you down to the barn just this once."

Emmett had steered her to the door as he spoke, leaning on the door frame he studied her face carefully absorbing it all, then placed his hand on the back of her neck and stroked the exposed edge of her scar a final time causing her to shudder at his warmth and the gentleness in his calloused fingers before he leaned back and shut the door. She felt like standing and staring at the light wood for hours on end soaking everything in, but it was already after ten o'clock and she knew that her alarm going off at five forty-five in the morning would come all too soon if she didn't leave now, so she walked out the front door of the house and across the short yard to the lady's quarters carrying her new cloths. She walked in and found that the lights were out in the large room that she shared with three other girls and they were asleep in their beds. She sighed inwardly and stumbled around in the dark trying to put her new things away in the proper dresser in the unfamiliar room. After much rummaging, many rude noises from the girls that she awoke and one spontaneous spout of name calling from a particularly agitated roommate she collapsed into bed and slept.


	6. Chapter 6

Rose woke the next morning not to the buzzing of the alarm beside her bed, but to three others to the left of her as the serving maids awoke for the day. It was only four in the morning, but the maids made no attempt to let Rose sleep, giggling at whatever silly maids found amusing at four in the morning and turning on the lights they made about their morning business gossiping and even making snide comments about the 'trailer trash' in the bed in the corner as the dressed and tidied themselves up. Soon the ladies were on to doing their hair with curling irons and straitening heated tools. One of the braver girls, the one that had trashed her last night Rose thought, came over and gave a tug on one of her red brown locks saying, "Maybe if she had ever seen a curling iron they would let her be a maid instead of a barn boy." The rest of the girls laughed with her and Rose just buried her face deeper into her pillow in the hope of being able to ignore them.

"Are we even sure she's a girl? Maybe she tricked the masters to get into their house" another sneered.

"Good point Alicia lets have a look" the first girl giggled. Rose ignored them until she felt a hand at the back of her shirt about to pull it up. Suddenly fast as a cobra she wheeled on the girl snatching her hand by the wrist in a grasp conditioned by the weight of half-ton animals not small women's delicate wrists. The girl shrieked and fought to pull back out of Rose's grasp, but anger and fear made her hold the girl in place here steely eyes locked on the girl's half made up face.

"It's attacking Abba" yelled one girl.

This then led the girl, apparently named Abba, to scream her new found fate to the rest of the mansion as a third girl ran from the room saying, "Don't worry Abba, I'll go get Mr. Emmett, he'll set it strait."

At this Rose came to her self and released the girl, she and the others ran from the room and the door was slammed. Rose stood up and tried to open the door but as soon as she turned the handle she herd several small bodies hit it and one yelled "Stay away from us you… you… attacker."

Great, thought Rose, her first day on the job and she was making Emmett get his ass dragged out of bed by a serving girl at what time? She glanced at the clock, oh shit four thirty in the morning. His temper was harsh at the best of times, except, thought a small part of her brain, not last night he was a whole different man when you were with him last night. She waved the voice away exasperated and continued her thought of how angry he would be to be waken at this time simply because she over reacted to some silly little girl's teasing.

She didn't know how long it had been when the door came crashing open and Emmett stood in the doorway face red with anger in his hastily pulled on blue jeans and tshit his hair all a muss. "Get your things, all of them, now." He ordered and Rose heard the girls giggling behind him. "Shouldn't you be making bread or something" he bellowed turning to the girls.

Most shrunk back or scurried off, but the girl Abba that Rose had grabbed sunk prettly to the floor her white skirts fanning out around her and began to weep, "That… that… That thing attacked me" she sobbed as other girls sunk down beside her to comfort her. Busy gabbing everything she owned and stacking it to carry Rose did not see the girls, but she could hear when Emmett knelt down to inspect the wrist the girl was holding. He took it in his own large hand and felt the bones to make sure they were not broken.

Abba looked up into his eyes and tried to put on a brave face before asking him sweetly, "Master, is it broken, it hurts ever so much."

"No" said Emmett gruffly dropping her wrist, standing and walking to the dresser where Rose was pilling all but her work cloths into a pile on the bed. He grabbed the remaining things from the dresser, including her work cloths, threw them over Rose's head onto the bed as she gasped and jumped back in fear of the enraged man as he pulled the sheet from the bed with all of her things in it, slung it over his shoulder and began to walk out of the room. Rose followed looking down as she heard him tell Abba to report to Jasper at nine o'clock in his office and then stormed out of the building. She followed him across the lawn and up the stairs of the house.

Was he about to wake Jacob and kick them out, Rose wanted to cry, but she hardened her face and set her shoulders head high still following Emmett up the stairs, she was shocked however when he made a familiar turn into his own room.

He threw her belongings down onto the floor at the foot of his bed and turned to look at her, "Sir, I'm sorry I only" but he shook his head cutting her off.

"Sleep" he said pointing to the couch. Walking by her by less than an inch he closed the door and on the way back to his bed stripped off his shirt allowing it to fall onto the pile of her belongings before he fell back into bed and was instantly asleep once again his boots hanging off the side his blue jeans having slipped just a little without their usual belt showing a small slip of red plaid boxers, but it was his heavily muscled and tanned back that caught her attention and averted it away from sleep. It was clear to her that he had done hard labor all of his life, there were few other ways to develop such hard defined muscles that maintain their shape even during the relaxation of sleep. She could also tell that he must often work without a shirt, because the tan line from his shirt was slight. Remembering the time of morning and his order she crawled onto the plush red velvet and cherry wood couch that was before the stumped out embers in the fireplace and eventually fell asleep dreaming of tan muscled backs, blond hair, and clear blue eyes that burned like the flames she sometimes saw in Emmett's own.

When she awoke again it was to an alarm, at first she presumed it to be her own, but then reconsidering she assumed it to be Emmett's and at that thought she jumped bolt upright. Although she was in Emmett's room he was nowhere to be seen and it was far too light out to be seven in the morning anymore. Panicking Rose found the alarm on the coffee table before her, pealed the note off of the top of it and shut it off before reading the note. The rough strong hand writing read, "Rose, Don't worry that it's 11:32," she checked and it was 11:33, she laughed a little thinking, I'm slow, "I set the alarm myself. Dress and join me and the men at the stables by noon, don't worry about this morning, we will find another place for you to stay. I want to hear the whole story, because somehow I doubt you tried to rape that slutty bitch like she told Jasper, but again I think you and I can retire to the library again tonight and figure a few things out. I saw Jasper and Jacob off to the school, they will be home long before you and I retire to the house for the night so take them off your mind now, it will do you no good to worry. Our man is good, I promise, and Jasper will have your paperwork for you by tonight so that you don't have to worry about things like driver's licenses or social cards or anything. By the way burn this when you are done it will do no good for someone to find it and take off with it. The door to my room is locked but you should be able to get out. Come eat with us, and you'd better hurry Cowgirl you're already down to twenty-two minutes to get all niced up and make it out to the barn." Rose glanced up at the clock, twenty-three, she thought smugly before remembering that it was a fifteen-minute walk to the barn. Ass hole, she thought and jumped up to get dressed throwing the letter in the fire along the way.

Fully dressed for a day of work she dashed down the stairs past several serving maids who looked after her in shock and started at a brisk walk to the barns. When she arrived she heard the sound of pounding hooves, whooping men, and snorting horses, they were racing home for lunch. She laughed as she saw some of the younger men gallop over the hills, but Emmett, who's huge bay gelding had been hanging somewhere in the middle of the herd suddenly shot forward with urging from his rider. The gelding thundered forward and the other horses practically tripped over themselves to get out of his way until he came to a sliding halt a few feet from Rose sending dirt flying. Like horse like rider, she thought wryly as the other men grumbled and dismounted. On an impulse Rose walked forward to the huge bay and reached out to pet his nose.

"Don't!" six voices including Emmett's yelled in unison.

The gelding snorted and barred his teeth shaking his head angrily at her warning her away, but she went nowhere, instead her face hardened into a scowl at the gelding. He responded by rearing up and flailing his hooves at her, luckily Emmett was practically born in the saddle and didn't slide off his back end and onto the ground. Rose responded to the gelding's threat by giving one of her own, growling loud and deep as she could she screamed at the gelding "ENUOGH!". The gelding settled and looked at her with curiosity, snorting at her, his ears pricked forward. He licked and chewed for a second before butting her still outreached hand with his nose as a sign of approval at her bravery.

"Ya big bully" she said taking the reins and patting the horse's head before looking up to see if Emmett wanted help out of the saddle, but he was already swinging down looking at her as she petted his now placid gelding's neck. Emmett smiled.

Taking the reins from her he drawled, "Next time save you're who's is bigger argument for after I'm off hu Rose?"

"Yes sir," She said chuckling and looking down as the men around her started laughing too.

"Well then Cowgirl, since there's someone else on this damn piece of property who can handle Thor how's about you take him in get him cleaned up and out to pasture, the men will care for the tack and I'll see everyone in the mess hall soon as the horses are cared for."

"Yes sir." Rose said again and led Thor off to the tack stalls and wash racks. She untacked him and he watched her curiously like a new colt who's never seen a saddle before snorting and puffing.

"What is it Sir Prince? Have I folded down the bedding wrong?" Rose asked the Gelding.

The man in the tack stall beside her chuckled, "No Ma'am, I do believe that he's quite simply never been handled by a woman before, a woman's touch is, after all, so different from that of a man. Maybe he's decided to be a stallion again and will knock our dear Sir to the ground in favor of the soft hands of a filly next he goes for a ride." He laughed heartily as did all who heard him and Rose blushed at his words.

After she had him untacked, and washed off his steaming body, having to fountain the water up to clean the top of his back, she began to lead him to pasture. She was nearing the Chestnut mare's paddock when she had an idea, turning she approached the pin. The mare threw a fit at the company bucking and screaming up a storm darting from one side of the back of the pin to the other. The gelding watched her antics with curious eyes and pricked ears, he had not even threatened the silly filly, but yet she danced for him, why did she dance for no reason? He snorted and she froze looking at him and quivering. He nickered to her softly and she flinched as if to run, but stood still watching him and waiting for the sign to flee. The mare heard him nicker again and shook her head with frustration, why did he call to her, could he not see she was already broken and afraid?

The gelding began to walk forward towards the mare ever so slowly nickering a little more and a little louder with every step and Rose let him go. The mare was now taking a step with her front feet from left to right and back again and swinging her head in time with her movements, something that Rose knew horses did when they were stall crazy and nervous. Thor knocked against the wooden fencing of the round pin with his chest. Rose considered for a moment then took a leap of faith and took off Thor's halter opening the gate wide. The stall crazy mare took off like a bat out of hell dashing through the fence opening and into the ten times larger square pasture that was beyond Thor hot on her heels.

"The hell are you thinking?" Yelled Emmett from behind Rose, she flinched so focused on the horses that she had not heard him approach.

"Shhhhhhhh" she shushed him and grabbing his arm she lead him away.

Once they were far enough away she turned to face him. "When the men said you had took Thor out to meet the damn mare I hardly believed them, then I come to see you cut her loose and Thor too in that huge pasture. Now I can't get to my best cutting horse for fear of the mare killing me and that's not to mention what she'll do to my poor Thor."

"Emmett honestly how long has that mare been in there?"

"Three weeks, maybe more, what of it?"

"No wonder she's trying to kill your men, she's stall crazy, horses aren't meant to be kept in pins so small for so long. As for your 'Poor Thor' there's nothing poor about him, he's a bully, which I agree makes him a great cutting horse, but ever wondered what would happen when a bully runs into someone so broken that they don't wait to be bullied submit? Ever wondered what happens when someone is too crazy and sick to take commands form a dictator?" Emmett looked at her suspiciously, "it looses all the fun for him. There is no point in bulling a broken filly, no good comes of ordering a crazy mare, he must make her whole again before he can tell her what to do. Ever wondered what happens when a mare is taught to be strong and live on by the bully himself? She becomes immune to him."

"So you think by turning them out like that you can fix 'em both?" said Emmett giving her a speculative stare.

"Well, he aint broke so no, but I think he can fix her and she can become a sort of anti-toxin for his venom in a since."

"How long do I have to leave them be out there?"

"A week? Then I'll go check on them."

"Well then Cowgirl, its time you cowgirl on up cuz without Thor I aint got nothin big enough to cut on, I'd break their poor spindly legs, you'll have to take my place and I'll have to supervise on old Ratty over there." He said pointing to a very old looking gelding with a shabby grey coat and a tail that is half fallen out, but he was big and sturdy and would hold Emmett's immense weight and Rose laughed.

"Fine by me Sir, but next auction you and me are gunna go get you another horse so you're not so dependent on Thor and the poor man can have a break every once in a blue moon."

"Well I spose that's fair hu? I'm hopin' you'll take the chestnut mare when all's said and done, she's a pretty piece of horse flesh, all lean and muscle and lightning fast, but I don't know a man out here with the balls to ride her after everything she's done, and I'm too damn big."

"Of course that would have nothing to do with you not having the balls to ride her either." She said under her voice and he glowered at her.

"What'd you say girl?"

"Nothin' Sir I was just sayin' I'd be honored to take her under my wing."

"Uhu, best pick her a name then."

"Yes sir, how about Flicker?"

"Flicker?"

"Like a flame Sir, one moment she's there, then she's gone"

He shot her a grin and clapping her on the shoulder and starting his way to the mess hall he said, "Flicker it is then; Flicker and the Cowgirl, what a pair."

She followed him towards the mess where no one was eating, but sitting in a semicircle awaiting Emmett for the announcement of what the hell was going on. Oh there were rumors, for one Nate had heard from the serving girl Talia, that she was really a he, and had tried to rape Abba, but her breasts showing out of her V neck were enough to convince the men that Abba just wanted Sir's attention. Ramsey had said that the maid Olivia had seen her coming out of Sir's bedroom before the lunch hour, but Sir had been with them, and he was never a man for using a woman for company, that was why many of them sent their daughters as his maids in the big house as young as fourteen and fifteen.

Emmett walked in followed by Rose to find the men waiting up for him as he had expected. "This," he said holding his hand out for Rose to take and step up beside him, which she did, "is Rose. Rose is our new horse mistress, due to her unique situation she will be living in the house, but she will work with you men for half the day and train horses half the day. She seams to think that she can improve the efficiency of our work by improving our horses, so she will begin working with all of the horses starting with the reserve horses as of today. As you may have noticed, she is respected by even some of the most stubborn horses here, including my own Thor, and the chestnut mare, who I have assigned to her as her horse once trained and who she has named Flicker, cus just as the fire flickers and is gone so does she. They have been retired for the remainder of the week to the south east central pasture and will remain there untouched except for those of you who feed who shall strive to avoid them while feeding. Due to the fact that Thor is being used to train Flicker I will be on Ratty, and therefore Rose will ride with us in the mornings cutting just as any of you do, keep in mind she's new and keep her safe as you would any of our young boys. Also if any of you feel the need for a new horse based on injury, age, or size please come see me today so that we may evaluate and look at rearranging horses before the auction in four days that Rose and I will be attending to buy some fresh horses, I know several are in need, one of our large herds is nearing twenty and all of them will be evaluated by Rose, myself, and Dr. Johansson prior to the auction. That's all men, eat up."

The men didn't move, they began talking amongst themselves, or flirting with a serving girl, but none moved to eat.

"Well, come on then let's not keep them waiting." Said Emmett clapping a hand on Rose's shoulder and steering her towards the table. She hesitated not wanting to push ahead in line, but Emmett's hand on her shoulder insisted, "There's a hierarchy, me, the horse trainers, aka you, the herd heads, then the rest of the men. Without me no one has a job, without you they can't do their job, with out the herd heads they don't know what job to do." He said setting me directly behind him in the serving line.


	7. Chapter 7

Picking up her tray of food Rose looked around the hall, she felt like Jacob at his first day of high school, but then Emmett said, "Rose" and pounded the table next to him, and walking over she sat. "I'll introduce you to the men as they arrive, you'll come sit here with me and the herd heads at the beginning of each meal so we can brain storm a little then you will be free to leave if you wish and join the others."

Other men had began to sit down around them and one man said, "So you're the girl all the serving maids can't stop fussing about, I wonder why that is?"

"Don't try to lift my shirt and you won't find out." She said, and the older man chuckled heartily clapping her on the back of the shoulder.

Looking first at her then at Emmett the man muttered, "wouldn't dream of it", and a few more men chuckled.

"Alright men that's enough, Jack," Emmett said addressing the old man who had been talking to her, "Since you seem to know Rose so well why don't you introduce the lot?"

"Sure thing Sir," Said Jack, "I'm the head of the tenth herd out here, herds are ranked by length of time on the property, mostly we deal with the breeding cows that are used to being cut and go willingly, cus ya see we've been here a long while too and it just makes our lives that much easier when they cut themselves. That there, is Kingston, he takes the 9th," he pointed to an older but less warn looking man. "Him over there," Jack said pointing to a man in his mid to late forties, "is Hack, with the 8th." The introductions went on like this with the men growing increasingly younger until by the 3rd and 2nd herd Rose was wondering if the boys, Sable and Damien respectively, were even any older than she. The 1st, being the new arrivals to the property and hardest to manage, was left to Emmett and his motley crew of young men most barley topping twenty.

"Jack, pick one of your older wearier men to come in this afternoon and help Rose locate and tack and wash the reserve horses as she trains, at least just for today, then I will find a fair rotation for who will aid her until she finds a man she particularly likes to help her car for her beasts." Instructed Brain and Jack nodded. "Well then men this afternoon like any other, we need to run the grazing rotations, bring the milking cows into be milked and circle the bulls and young ones around to build up some muscle, can't sell'm for meat if they don't have any. Off you go."

Jack and four of the other boys, mostly younger, but not Damien she noticed, darted up with their trays to join friends, although Jack, off to pick a man to help Rose left his on the table.

"So our dear Ms. Rose, what brings you to the table of us dirty working men?" said Damien his voice slightly drawling and his accent slightly northern. His hair was dark as were his eyes and thick black eyelashes, he was handsome she decided, but his thin cut features reminded her a bit of a snake.

"Just the same, unwashed fingernails, untreated hair, and an affinity for both animals and a pay check." The men including Emmett chuckled. She had been subconsciously aware of Emmett beside her this whole time, but suddenly his presence came into sharp focus for her and she felt the zing of electricity and bounced between them.

"Why were no not scared of Thor when he came at you like that?" Asked Damien again his eyes a mix of suspicion and curiosity.

The other men at the table leaned in to listen, "It's like I was telling Emmett,"

"Sir" three of the men interrupted before returning Jack explained, "We all call him Sir out here, in the house you may call him as you wish but you will earn yourself no favors calling him otherwise out here."

She looked up to Emmett and when he ignored her she continued with her story, "As I was telling Sir the other day, Thor is a bully, and people are afraid of bullies, but sometimes there is someone that is so broken that even the bully takes pity and helps that person to hold his or her head high and face the world, and through that that individual often becomes immune to the bully, and for that matter all bullies."

"And is that what you did with the bitch mare?" asked an older man who's name she had forgotten.

"Flicker." She corrected sternly and the man waved his hand in apology, "and no, she is not a bully, she is broken all I did was get in front of her. A mare so frightened and broken will try to run, but then finding herself trapped without escape eventually gives into her fate and it was then that I walked away leaving her alone. She stood still and trusted that I would do what I would do no matter what, and it was then that I gave her what she wanted. If she can learn that by trusting she is rewarded with her own pleasure, she will learn to trust."

"So you're saying that a mare that tried to kill three men is broke? Remind me not to ride anything you break." The other men chuckled.

"Not broke as in trained, no, but broke as in broken, there are pieces of her scattered everywhere she has been and she is loathed to release any more so she fights back in a last desperate attempt to save herself."

"What of Thor and Flicker then?" asked Damien again.

"Like I said, Thor is a bully, and Flicker is shattered into many pieces, but sometimes a filly is so broken that the bully will heal her so that he can bully her too not knowing that she will become immune. She will end up with someone to trust and he with someone who won't put up with his shit."

"So then if you my dear a re immune to him as well that must mean that you too were once as broken as that young mare." Said Damien eyeing her with his dark gaze.

"No I just watch well, and learn my lessons fast." Said Rose looking down at her plate, but Emmett didn't miss that her and came up to rub the back of her neck nervously along the line of the scar that he knew was there. She had been that filly, of that he was sure, what he wasn't sure of was what she was now.

After lunch the men road out to work the cattle, and Rose and the man left to stay with her, Paul, went to the horses that were left. As Paul lead her into the reserves pin she noticed that many of the horses, like Ratty that Emmett had rode out on, were too old for hard work anymore. Walking through he herd Rose called to Paul for as many halters and leads as he could find and spent the next two hours splitting the horses between retired and working. In the end she was left with twelve working horses and twenty-four to be retired with Emmett's permission. Rose noticed as she worked that there were no stallions here, she figured it was because stallions got into trouble and sighed at how sad it was that these herds were deprived of their natural born leaders. Horses simply could not be horses without a stallion to lead them, but Rose understood, these weren't natural horses they were human horses now and their stallion was Emmett.

She instructed Paul to turn the retired horses into the largest unused pasture on the property and grumbling he started turning the horse out three at a time.

Rose moved the remaining horses into another pasture so that she could start pulling them apart into family groups to better understand them as horses before she started training them as workers. Dumping all twelve of them in the new paddock without halters on. She sat on the fence for about ten minutes just watching. There was a big grey mare with a lot of grey on her that kept nudging one of the younger chestnut geldings around the paddock with her and pinning her ears if one of the other horses got too close to him. She was an alpha mare, and that was her adopted colt. Rose jumped up and slung one of the larger halters over the mare's head and began leading her out slowly letting anyone follow that wanted to. The chestnut gelding came along with a smaller placid dark bay mare and a speckled gelding. So that was the large grey mare's herd, she put them in a small pin she walked back to the main pasture. She made four more such groups by the time she was done, a black mare and a bay mare, a cherry bay gelding, a chestnut paint gelding, and a appaloosa mare made another, a black paint mare and a small liver chestnut gelding made the last, and there was a lone palomino gelding left standing.

It wasn't long after she had finished splitting the horses up that she heard a horse's hooves behind her and turned spotting a very sweaty tired looking Ratty. "You know Emmett, I mean Sir, I would have retired Ratty today if it weren't for the fact that you were on him."

"I'm sure you would have," he said somewhere between amused and angry, "you retired some of my most well trained backup horses today."

"You'll have new favorites within the week" Rose promised.

"Alright then, what do we have here?"

"The family herd within the greater one, I wanted to get a look at their personalities, most of them are pretty easy going, but there are a few that will take some discipline to whip into shape."

"How long before all of these are done?"

"Three days, but your man will ruin them in less than that I am sure."

Emmett looked at her in indignation, "My men can ride little girl, they won't be ruining ant horse."

"How many times do you nudge your horse gently with your seat and leg before you kick it?"

"You kick a horse to make it go."

"You shouldn't have to, if your horse went off of just a slight movement he would move faster than if he waits to be kicked, and how many times do you kick him before be moves?"

"Thor? Once, but most of my men two or three."

"And how far can a cow move in the time it takes your men to move their horses?"

"Half way clean cross the paddock sometimes" Emmett admitted.

"Paul" Rose called, "Could you saddle the big grey mare for me please, I have something I would like to show Sir." Paul obliged fetching the mare and beginning to tack her.

"Should the men see this to?" asked Emmett a defeated look on his face his blue eyes flowing over her and soaking her in as she stared fixedly at the horses in the pastures.

"Sure" She said and went to find a training stick and some spurs.

Twenty minutes later the mare was saddled and waiting by the entrance to the huge covered stock arena and the men were assembled in the stands awaiting the show that their new horsewoman had promised to put on. Rose gestured for Paul to give the reins to Emmett and ushered him to follow her to the middle of the ring and faced the men. "Now I want all of you to listen up and watch what I'm about to do. This is how I want you to treat all your horses, the days of lifting your legs off the horse's sides and kicking them is over, it waists too much time, is too aggressive, and is ineffective. Form now on you urge your horse forward from a push of the seat and a nudge of the calfs, same goes with changing directions, there's no need to rip the horse's head around or slam into one side of it, because you and I both will teach your horse to be so sensitive and aware of you that as you start to shift your weight to turn the horse is already turning. I'm not going to speak while I ride so watch close."

She turned to Brain and the mare and checked the synch on the saddle and that the stirrups were all the way as short as they would go then grabbing a fist full of mane and the reins she swung herself up into the saddle. Immediately she knew that the saddle was far too big, and she disliked the way that she sloshed around in it, but she knew it was the smallest that they had, and she would just have to deal with it. She took the horse's reins and Emmett stepped back, she sat on the mare's back just feeling her breath for a moment before she urged the mare forward gently with seat and leg. The mare ignored her, so Rose asked again, and again was ignored. Rose asked a third time, but this time she allowed her spurs to lightly brush the horse's side, again no response. Again Rose asked, but with more spur and a snap of the training stick on the mare's backside, this made her jump a little, but she did not step forward.

"Notice how she is taking it slow," Emmett began to commentate teaching his men as Rose rode, "allowing Misty here to take a step at each new level of insistence." He looked up at her and she nodded and smiled reassuringly at him.

Rose kicked harder this time allowing her spur to nip into the mare's sides and the stick to snap sharply on the mare's rump, jumping again the mare took a step forward. Rose stopped and praised the mare cooing to her and petting her long neck allowing her to relax. "And see now how she is praising Misty for even just taking one step even thought the mare should be galloping by now." Rose sat back strait in the saddle and gave the lightest of nudges once more not allowing stick nor spur to come in contact with the mare, she froze aware of the cue this time, but did not move. Again Rose asked, "And see how she goes back to the beginning giving the mare the chance to do better this time." The mare did not move, so Rose gave a light tap of the spur along with her push forward, and this time the mare began to walk forward a few steps, continuing her urging motion Rose kept the mare moving with no more than the light pushing from her seat and slight tensing of her leg muscles. "Now that she has the mare moving she is using just a very light, but constant pushing motion to keep her going." Rose let the mare stop and then asked ever so slightly for her to move again, which she did. It was time to do the same from the walk to the trot, so Rose nudged the mare slightly harder than what she did to keep her walking, but still only as much as one might use to get a distracted friend's attention. The mare ignored this walking along, so Rose asked again, and then a gain with a bit of spur, and when no response was forthcoming, yet again with her spur and stick and the mare began to trot. Rose used the rhythm of her seat to keep the mare moving forward for a bit then brought her back to a walk, then halt. She asked the mare to walk with a short nudge, and she did, then Rose asked for trot just as gently and it was granted. Taking a leap forward in the training Rose directed the horse to canter ever so lightly, and she obliged without hesitation.

"Sir, would you mind having one of your best men go tack up his mount, and perhaps another could go bring two calves into the stock pin at the end of the arena, I would like to do a little demonstration of how much this training will help them in the field, am I right in saying that this mare was never very good at cutting?"

Emmett made the arrangements as the stadium full of men agreed with her on the mare's aptitude. Over the next few minutes Rose worked on getting the mare to turn and cut with the same light touch. Once the men had brought their horses and Damien and his piebald gelding stood before her Rose said "Ok so here's the name of the game, I get the spotted calf, you get the black one, the goal is to steal the other's calf without loosing our own. Not only do we have to out cut the cows, but each other too."

Damien grinned and nodded, "You have over estimated your training I think, but even if you loose I will not hold it against you, I have had much more practice at such things" he said swinging into the saddle.

"We'll see" Rose said and nodded to Emmett to release the calves. The name of the game was that each was permitted to collect their own calves before the start, which Emmett would call. Kicking his gelding furiously Damien loped over to cut his calf into his corner. Rose followed lightly nudging her mare into a trot and doing the same.

"Start" called Emmett. An eye to her calf Rose started sizing up Damien and his calf. Her calf made a dash for it and she urged her mare into a gallop to cut him back into his own corner, then she turned to face Damien, but he had come up behind her legs beating on his beast vigorously. Rose swung her weight left and her mare followed only a millisecond behind as she planted firm hooves mere feet before Damian's gelding who shied left and was met once again by Misty's chest and front hooves in his path. Damien yanked his reins to the opposite side and broke away from Rose and Misty to cut his calf back into his corner as Rose worked on doing the same. As Rose turned to face him again she noticed him charging at her again, seeing his calf turn tail and run in the opposite direction Rose cut her calf off chasing it to meet Damien's. Seeing her goal Damien screamed at his gelding kicking him furiously as the gelding picked up a little more speed heading back to his own calf, but seeing that he realized his mistake Rose yelled "Yaaaahhhh" at the top of her lungs and kicked Misty digging her spurs into the mare's sides. Un like Damien's own gelding who had started to lope a little faster at his rider's antics Misty shot forward as if she had been stung by a bee, and in her sudden burst of speed cut Damien off cut his calf in towards her own and was circling the two of them before Damien could heavy handedly drag his gelding in the right direction.

"That's not fair" Exclaimed Damien over the yells and cheers of the men, "You said you wouldn't kick hard or spur her."

"I never said any such thing," protested Rose, "I simply said don't spur your horse when you don't need to. If you spur your horse into the trot and beat him into the canter, then what do you have left to do when you are being charged down by a bull or a calf is getting away? By using simple soft cues on a daily basis, you still have something left to ask of the horse when you need it."

Damien scowled as Emmett walked over and said "Rose wins, and remember this men for when she tells you to do the same with your own beasts, Rose's right, and she might just save your life."

Emmett grabbed ahold of Misty's bridle as she pranced in place eyes rolling wildly trying to keep track of the two calves incase she was asked to make chase again.

Rose dismounted with a thud that made her wince, "Not so sleepy are you now Misty?" the mare snorted and pranced and Emmett laughed.

Turning to the crowd he bellowed "Dismissed get all this mess cleaned up and have you some dinner." As he handed Misty's reins to the waiting Paul who smiled at Rose. Taking her by the shoulder Emmett steered her out of the arena and up towards the house as the grass shown like ghostly petals in the smoldering summertime Georgia twilight.

During dinner Jasper and Jacob talked about how well Jacob did at his placement exams, and Emmett and Rose talked about the horses, and her little competition with Damien.

"Jacob, what did you think of the school?" Rose said smoothing out his hair as he sat next to her at the table eating mashed potatoes.

"Good" he said swallowing, "Rali?" he looked up at her calling her the pet name he had had for her since he was young and couldn't pronounce her name proper, "it's been a long time since I've been around so many kids."

His eyes were wide as he looked at her worriedly, and the two men at the table watched as Rose, almost in tears, her silver eyes torn with anguish pulled him to her and kiss the top of his head saying, "I know baby, I know, but it will all work out, I promise just focus on the teachers and the class work."

"Yes" said Jacob pulling away, "those were good, the tests were easy."

"I should say so," Jasper said chuckling, "Jacob placed a senior in Spanish, Math, and English, a junior in history and social studies, and a sophomore in sciences."

"I always did hate that class" grumbled Rose into her chicken marsala and it was Jacob who laughed this time.

"So that's why you never taught them." Jacob accused jokingly and Rose buried herself in her glass of ice tea.

After a longer than normal silence Emmett jumped in saying, "Jasper, you remember that lazy old mare you used to ride Misty?" Jasper nodded, "Our Rose here gave a little training demonstration on how to make a horse respect minimal cues and ended up out cutting Damien and Silhouette on her today. She was foaming and dancing like a yearling in heat when Rose was done with her."

"Misty? The very same that carries my lazy ass out to the back of the properties when I must fetch you brother?"

"The very same." Said Emmett proudly winking at Rose.

"Oh dear, I suppose I should find another poor beast to carry my fat scholarly ass out there from now on."

"You shouldn't have been on her in the first place she's a pack leader she could have killed you, from now on take the palomino gelding, he's a loner and would enjoy the time away from other horses."

"Dancer?" said Jasper speculatively, "I suppose that's true you know." As if lost in his own train of thought.

After dinner Emmett and Jasper had some work to do so Rose followed Jacob up to his room and found his class schedule. It read: Freshman schedule and was followed by seven blocks filled with freshman level classes, PE, and Photography.

"Jacob, I thought you were ahead of all this?" Rose asked him.

"The teachers said I was socially lacking to be moved up to a higher level so they're keeping me a freshman, and Jasper says they'll start fishing if we argue… Rali… Where did the paperwork come from?" I sighed my heart clenching at the sound of my pet name on his worried lips, he only used it when he was worried.

"Don't worry about that Jacob I handled it all." He looked at her with worried eyes that held way too much reverence and trust for Rose's liking, it scared her.

"Photography?" she asked

"Jasper said that the eyes are the window to the soul and the photographer's camera is the door to his eyes. He said that sometimes we can find out more about ourselves through photography than any shrink can tell us… I want to know about myself… I… I'm lost. Maybe the camera can help me find myself."

Tears in her eyes Rose stood from the bed and went to sit on the floor beside Jacob, cradling him and rocking him like she had done when he was a young boy.

Neither knew how long they had sat there, but there was a sturdy wrap on the door and Emmett poked his head in saying "Rose, get out here." Seeing the pair on the floor he hesitated and added "please".

Rose kissed Jacob on the head and standing followed Emmett out of the room. He led her down the hall to the library and opened the door for her to walk in in front of him. He gestured for her to sit down on the couch before the fireplace before busying himself with the whisky and wine that sat on the side table.

Handing her the glass of white wine he sat down on the opposite side of the couch facing her. She took the drink, but eyed his whiskey on the rocks with some envy.

"So plenty to talk about tonight, first," he said reaching into his breast pocket and pulling out two card as she took a sip of the wine. It was fruity dry and smooth with only a little bit of a bite, part of her longed for something sharper. He handed her the cards and she inspected them. One was a driver's license for a Rosalie Colt, she giggled a little at the last name. Rosalie Colt was twenty-four not twenty-three although her birthday was only a few months and a handful of days off, and her license number had dyslexia and had scrambled itself. The other was a new social security card.

"Memorize them." Emmett instructed and nodding seriously she tucked the paperwork into her bra to put away in her wallet later. "Now, I think before I tell you where you will be staying I'd like to hear what happened this morning."

Rose sighed she had been dreading this, not so much because of his response, but because she had been so immature, and she knew it. "Well really it was just that they were up so early, then they began picking on me and that was it."

Emmett raised and eyebrow taking a long drink of whiskey his, molten eyes pooling into her own making her loose her resolve to deny anything, but her rash actions. "So then I'm to believe that some little girls teased you and you tried to rape one? That's what she said you know."

"Well I didn't try to rape her I just grabbed her, but ya that's what happened."

"I don't belive it."

"Well that's all of it."

"No it's not."

Emmett's calm matter of fact tone was pissing Rose off, "Yes," she said icily "it is."

"What did she do? The girls kept saying that Abba just wanted to make sure you were really a girl, what did she do?"

"She tried to lift the back of my shirt ok that's all, I over reacted its my fault." yelled Rose draining her wine glass and setting it down on the table in front of her standing up to leave.

"Come here." Emmett ordered firmly.

Glaring at him Rose walked over, "sit" he commanded and she sat on the couch six inches way from him, "turn around".

Now confused she faced away from him, but gasped and spun when she felt his hand on her lower back grasping at the flap of her tunic shirt. Emmett held tight onto the fabric in his hand and grabbed her wrist with the other as she swung her hand up to push him away.

"Rose, it's ok, just let me see it."

"See what? I didn't take you to be a man to make his employees strip for him!" She screamed, but they both knew that wasn't what he wanted, and the soft steady look in his deep blue eyes made her quiet her antics. Instead she fought to get out of his grasp and run from him small whimpers escaping her in her panic, causing him enough trouble that he picked her up and put her in his lap wrapping his arms around her to hold her to him as she fought against his wire hard muscles. After a few seconds of fighting Emmett heard sobs accompany her struggles until she fought less and cried more. It froze his heart dead in his chest to know how much anger and fear he was causing her, but he had to know how broken she really was. He had to help her, and until he could figure out how she had become so broken he couldn't.

"I know a little something about fillies too" he said softly stroking her hair as she sobbed into her knees. He turned her so that her face was buried in his chest and his chin was resting on the top of his head. "And you were as broke as they came little cowgirl, you muddle on and keep your head high, but its time you stopped long enough to let someone heal you."

Shuddering in his warm steady grasp and sobbing her eyes out like a little girl Rose just whimpered when she felt him lifting the back of her tunic again.

Emmett started exploring her lower back just by touch, at first running his rough calloused fingertips lightly over the soft skin until he found a knotted scar, then he would follow the track for a few inches not wanting to expose more of her until he could take a proper look at her. His hand moved from scar to scar to scar, at least seven already, what had someone done to his poor little woman. Not his he corrected himself sternly, just the one he was caring for for the moment.

Emmett stood letting Rose sit on the couch on her own for a moment as he fetched the whiskey decanter and another glass. Sitting back on the couch he pored her half a shot of whisky and handed her the glass. Rose took the whiskey gratefully and downed in quickly, then reaching for the decanter pored herself a triple and shot that back in one too. Emmett's eyebrows shot up, not many women could shoot such strong whisky, much less one so small take so much; she was clearly very familiar with alcohol and that worried him a bit too. She threw back another three shots making six and a half shots before he could stop her.

Shaking Rose set down the glass, it would take a bit for her to feel that, but when it hit it would hit hard. She nudged Emmett's arm with her head and he moved it allowing her to climb into the circle of his arms wanting to match the warmth of the whiskey on the inside with the warmth of him on the outside. She lay her head back on his arm and snuggled into his warm chest refusing to look up at his eyes, if he didn't exist he could be a happy dream and he would never be able to hurt her.

"I will see your back Rose." Said Emmett in a matter-of-fact tone.

"I'm sure, but just give me five more minutes to get all warm before you strip me of it all." Emmett wasn't quite sure what she meant, but he knew she wanted to be drunk fist, he sighed a little angry that she was making him do it like this. He had no business lifting even the back of his employee's shirt when she was drunk in his library especially when he knew she didn't want him to.

"Rose, I need to see your back now." He said after a few minutes. She stirred opening her eyes and face hardening she nodded. Before he knew what she was doing she had stripped her shirt, thrown it on the floor, and sitting on her knees on the couch beside him she had faced away and lain over her folded knees exposing and stretching out her full back for him to see.

She knew how this went, he would tell her to strip and lean over for him, it was anyone's guess as to whether she would feel his hard erection pressed against her, or the slash of pain on her back first, sometimes he used it to get him going, sometimes he preferred to finish that way, sometimes both. Through the stupor of her drunkenness she was slightly aware of the fact that the man behind her was tracing a soft finger over one of her scars.

Brain traced his fingers over the dozens of scars on her back, they were rough and jagged, not made by a knife the lash of a whip but something rougher. He reached down his right pant leg and pulled it up a foot or so inspecting the scar on his calf made by a shard of a glass beer bottle when he was in a bar fight once, it had distinctly the same structure of the ones on her back. It started with a star-like stab wound and was followed by a long jagged line speckled with pits where glass shards had stuck. Overwhelmed by the severity of her scaring that reached from her lower back to the one on her neck Emmett lowered his head and rest his forehead against her bare back letting out a sigh as he turned to press his cheek to the warm skin. Despite her myriad of scars her skin between was butter soft and drew him in. Ignoring the desire to stay there all night Emmett slipped his arms under hers and, careful to avoid her plump breasts, he lifted her into a sitting position and helped her back into her tunic top.

He rearranged them so that he was lying under her on the couch her head resting sleepily on his chest. "Are you an Angel?" she asked him very drunkenly as he ran a hand through her hair.

"No darlin', I'm just a Cowboy."


	8. Chapter 8

The next morning Emmett woke without an alarm as he always did, but today he had no desire to go to work, no desire to move out from under the beauty that was sound asleep on top of him. Suddenly the reason that she was with him came to his mind and his little bubble of happiness was popped, and he was glad it was, because his happiness at her presence as he slept had slipped into wakefulness too and he realized that he was hard and pressed firmly against her stomach. He was glad that he had woken first not wanting to give her the wrong idea, it was morning after all, and Brain thought of a way to extricate himself from her without startling her or making her aware of his not so little problem. He opted for slowly moving so that his legs were out from under her and cradling her in his arms and speaking to her softly nuzzling her hair with his face almost instinctively.

"Hmmmm Jacob, I said no dogs." She murmured through the dregs of sleep.

Emmett chuckled low and deep in his chest and Rose stirred realizing that that was no dog, nor was it Jacob, that sound was pure whisky and dark cherry wood with a hint of dust and clean soap. That sound was pure desire and excitement and fear. She opened her eyes cautiously and drowned in pools of bright sky colored sapphires.

"Emmett" she said and reached up to put a hand on his cheek, but then the pounding in her head reminded her of the night before and she gasped jumping up.

Thinking that she had found him out Emmett jumped to his feet and turned away from her hiding his morning wood from her. "Rose I'm sorry I didn't mean to,"

"Last night," she interrupted staring into the decanter of whisky like it was talking to her. She let her head drop into her hands and began to shake, realizing his mistake Emmett walked over and sat beside her placing a hand on the back of her neck gently. "You saw." It wasn't a question but a statement.

In answer Emmett stroked the corner of the scar on her neck then ran his thumb over her collar and shirt to the top of her left shoulder blade where the scar ended. She shuddered and asked, "Where are my things?"

"In the room to the left of mine, breakfast is down stairs in 30, and work is at 7:00, I'll see you there cowgirl."

Not looking at him Rose nodded and exited the library without a word.

She notice that her things had been put away but when she opened her dresser draw she found a toothbrush and shampoo, looking around she noticed her cloths on the floor of the shower and sighed "Damn Maids." Collecting her things she pulled on a black top, blue jeans, the dark belt, brand belt buckle, rough socks and her dark boots. She ran a brush through her hair and decided to braid it over one shoulder as was her preference instead of the high ponytail. She thought to put some light makeup on, but realized that hadn't made it into her bag, and throwing the idea out the window went to the breakfast table.

After Rose left, Emmett went and changed quickly before going to his brother's office and walking in.

"Emmett, how are you?" asked Jasper

"Better than Rose."

Jasper looked concernedly into his older brother's face and the expression there that he had never seen before. "Is Rose ill?

"No but somebody who knew her was, Jasper, I saw why she attacked that girl."

"Why?"

"She was going to expose Rose's back, have you ever seen the scar on the back of her neck?"

"No her hair was always down and then her uniform has a…" he trailed off looking in suspicion and curiosity at the provider of the admittedly strange uniform, "nor come to think of it have I ever seen so much as a millimeter of her back either."

Emmett nodded, "Neither had I until last night." Bending down he rolled up his right pant leg to reveal his glass scar revealing it to his brother who winced at the memory of how Emmett had gotten that scar. "Dozens" he said looking up at his younger brother who jumped in surprise his eyes wide with horror and his stomach churning a little at the thought.

"What did you do?"

"She was drunk and half asleep, I just held her."

Jasper shook his head, "What are you going to do?"

"Put her to work, keep her mind off it, but keep her close so I can keep an eye on her."

Jasper nodded and said, "Emmett you know I'm no good at this type of thing, but do you think she needs help, like professional help?"

"Maybe, but she won't take it, she fought tooth and nail to keep me away from her, and she was six and a half shots of whiskey when she let me take a look. It was almost like she had been expecting it she stripped her top and knelt and bowed down in front of me, before I could stop her." Jasper was facing the window again shaking his head. Emmett didn't tell him about the part where she had asked if he was an angel, or him laying his face on her back, and how comfortable it had been; that was theirs and theirs alone and he planned to hold onto that bit of the night until he had something even better to grasp at.

"Breakfast is in ten" Emmett said and walked out closing the door.

Jasper reached over and picked up the picture of Alice, hair in a bun in her army uniform kissing him as she was about to leave for war, needing comfort and thinking of how it felt to have her in his arms. "Come home Alice. Dear God all mighty, please come home." Setting the picture in his lap Jasper looked out his window again and saw the Thor and the chestnut mare, who, he remembered, was now named Flicker. Thor was nudging Flicker softly with his nose urging her to enter the open gate of the round pin where she had been trapped for so long. She refused to budge and pinning her ears turned and nipped at him shaking her head at him angrily. Ignoring her antics Thor pushed past her and went to stand stubbornly inside the pin. Flicker whinnied shrilly and paced nervously back and fourth before the entrance neither willing to inter nor to be separated. As he watched Jasper chuckled to himself and thought how fitting it was that Thor was Emmett's horse, and Flicker Rose's. They were so much like their riders; Flicker was the spunky, fierce, mare who was scared shitless of her own shadow despite the feisty appearance that she gave off. Thor was the heavy handed short tempered bully with no patience who commanded complete respect wherever he went, but under it all he had a soft spot for the little filly, and was stubbornly helping her despite her protests. Breakfast then, Jasper thought getting up.

Breakfast was quick and silent, the three adults walked to the end of the drive to see Jacob off for school for his first official day of high school, and then Jasper climbed into his car to go talk to a banker in town and Rose and Emmett headed for the barn. Rose spent the morning on Misty out in the runs with Emmett and his group of young men cutting the cattle and pushing them into pins for health checks since the vet was there that day. After lunch she Emmett and the vet checked over all of the men's horses as the men did maintenance on the barns and railing around the property. Seventeen more horses were retired making a minimum of twenty that would need to be purchased at the auction.

The next day passed much the same except Rose's afternoon was spent training up five more of the reserve horses, including Dancer, the palomino gelding, who she taught to be relaxed and calm even when being ridden by someone who was poor at steering and off balance.

That night one of the maids told Rose that Emmett was expecting her in his study. Rose hesitated remember the last time she had gone to his study, but she stood and walked robotically through he heavy wood door. Emmett was there pouring over a pamphlet, he looked up when she entered and ushered her over to the table where he sat.

"There's a big auction north of Atlanta about two hours from here it starts tomorrow and lasts three days, were going up there to buy twenty to twenty-five horses, so clearly we can't trailer that many back so there's no point in even bringing a trailer, we'll just have them shipped."

"Ok"

"This is the list of pre-set auction horses, there will be probably five hundred or so more, but since we already placed a firm bid for twenty horses we have the highest priority at the auction, if we tell them about specific auctions that we're interested in they will hold a private auction to make sure we are there."

Rose shook her head, she had been to an auction before, she knew those men that they held whole auctions up for, but she never thought se would be there as the guest of one. "So you want me to look at this list with you then?"

Emmett nodded and pulled his chair up so that he was directly behind her only a few short inches away. At first she stiffened at his proximity, but then relaxed as if the heat rolling off of him was massaging her muscles making her go slack. The list on the table between them now Rose noticed that it had a lot number followed by a starting price, then the horse's gender, color, breed, size, weight, age, and a number from 1 to 10 for both experience and temperament.

Rose picked up a pin and began scanning the list. The first horse that caught her eye was a 16.2 hand grey quarter horse and thoroughbred mix gelding that was selling for only five thousand. He got only a 3 on experience, but a nine on temperament meaning that although untrained he was a calm sturdy fellow. She circled him with her pen and herd Emmett grunt his approval nodding.

Rose found several more horses like the grey gelding and circled those as well as a large number of off the track thoroughbreds, which she was very accustomed to working with and was more than willing to take a look at especially since they ranged from three to seven thousand in price usually. She also picked a few horses just for their immense size, and even a large flaxen liver chestnut roan Newfoundland pony mare. Over all she had circled more than sixty horses that she wanted to take a look at.

"Emmett, I still don't think any of these are going to work for you, I want to go to the open auctions too, look all the tall horses are thoroughbred, which means they have thin bones and little weight on them. Your going to need a draft mix I think, and those can't be pre-registered here, do they have like a specific auction for draft crosses?"

"Not usually, but if I requested I'm sure we would find that there is this time." He said smiling at her is face only a few inches away despite the great height difference.

"No, we can go sit at the daily open auctions just like everyone else we don't need special treatment."

Emmett sighed and ruffled her hair, "Keep in mind little cowgirl, you're traveling with a Cullen to a cutting horse auction, special treatment is unavoidable." He went to pull back from her, but felt himself drawn back in, and although he knew he had no right he ran his hand through her hair again and rested it on her lower back. Rose stiffened for a second at his touch but soon relaxed scolding herself to enjoy it while he was being nice. Emmett leaned into her with the appearance of getting closer to the pamphlet to inspect the horses that she had circled even though he had already decided not to question what she wanted and just send the pamphlet back without editing. He could feel her breath on the side of his cheek as he cut in front of her, she went to lean back but his hand on her back urged he to stay in place, but with less force then her own body which longed for his closeness. Soon Emmett drew back and set down the pamphlet he brought his hand up to cup her cheek and makes her look at him. Her molten silver eyes sparked and jumped as if electricity was passing through them just as he felt as if electricity buzzed through his head and turned his stomach.

Rose let her cheek rest against his calloused hand and brought her eyes up to meet his. There was that awkward moment where she thought they must have both been wondering if he was going to kiss her.

Emmett looked at her pinkish red lips slightly chapped from the day out in the hot sun and wanted nothing more in that moment than to claim her as his, but instead he stroked her cheek with his thumb, and with the hand that still rested on her lower back he scooted her towards him. He leaned forward and pressed his lips softly to her forehead.

Rose was slightly disappointed she realized to her surprise when he kissed her forehead instead of her lips, but they were sweet and warm none the less. She could feel the unresolved tension of how she had left things a few mornings ago when they had fallen asleep together on the couch.

Pulling her head against his chest and moving his knees so that she could scoot closer and be comfortable in his embrace Emmett said, "I don't know who did it, or where they are now, but I will always protect you. If you never listen to another word is say, listen to this: I will always protect you, from anyone, or anything, if you ever see or hear from them again, whoever they are, you must come to me, tell me. Promise me." He said pleading with her his heart clenched at the consideration of what his poor little darlin' had been through.

Hearing the passion in his words, and knowing she could not give him what he asked of her Rose felt a few silent tears slip down her cheeks. "I can't" was all she said looking down past his smoothly muscled arm at the floor.

Taking his hand off her hair Emmett tilted her chin up to look at him. Seeing the tears in her eyes he scooped her up and put her in his lap cradling her to him. "Yet you can, and you can and you will, promise me." He half begged half commanded.

"Why?" She asked lip trembling and eyes streaming pearly tears.

"Because, I can help you, I can keep you safe Rose."

"Why bother?" she asked, "He's gunna find me anyway, it's not worth the trouble. Jacob's the one that's going to… to need you once… once I'm gone."

"Why bother?" Emmett repeated almost angrily. Then he lifted her chin even higher and crushed his lip to hers.

Rose fidgeted for a moment until all the passion and fear and anger that his huge body held filled her and she was lost in the power of his kisses, and the fire that it ignited in her.

"Why bother?" He asked again softer this time, "Bother because after I save you, we can save Jacob together." and he kissed her again slower and softer stroking her cheek and pulling her closer to him.

Rose allowed herself to drown in his kisses and kissed him back with all the desperation that she carried with her every day. She was desperate for love, for protection, and safety, she was desperate for sex, and desperate to enjoy sex like she had the only time she had done it by choice. She was desperate for him, his strong arms and muscled chest and warm lips.

As her desperation filled him he grudgingly broke the kiss and cradled her shaking and crying quietly to him. Neither said a word for a long time, and it was almost ten o'clock when Emmett realized Rose was asleep. Standing with her in his arms he carried her to her own bedroom laying her down and covering her with the comforter.

Bending down he kissed her forehead and whispered, "Promise me Darlin'." and walked out and down to his own room where it took him more than an hour of lying in bed to fall asleep dreaming of her cherry wood hair, silver grey eyes, and cream skin with her soft plump red lips.


	9. Chapter 9

Emmett awoke at six like he did every morning in his boxers and groaned thinking, I am going to need a long cold shower to get rid of that, and after last night that really wasn't much of a surprise. First however he slid on a pair of blue jeans and went to go wake Rose. He had thought about setting her alarm the night before, but reasoned that he did not want it to startle her. If he was being honest with himself he knew it was because he wanted to always be the one to wake her; the idea of puling his little angle out of sleep softly and into his arms was intoxicating and he knew he would have to resist the urge to crawl in beside her. He did not want to be with her, not long term, he was a bachelor and always would be; his farming life style didn't leave time for a wife; that was for his other brothers. He pushed his attraction to her off as lust, and that, he knew he could never give into around her. There was still that voice in the back of his head that asked him silly worthless questions such as why he didn't want to fuck her then, of course he did feel for her that way, but the strongest desire he had at the moment, the one that pulsed through his entire identity, was to hold her soft figure in his strong arms and coo to her how she would always have him, how she would always be safe. Like every other time this foolish bit of him spoke up he smacked it down cold and tried to forget about it. Quietly opening the door to her room he walked over to her bed and knelt beside it. She was sleeping soundly her face soft and relaxed and he wished he did not have to wake her, but he did and so slowly he began to rub circles on her back with his hand and said "Rose, come one cowgirl it's time to mount on up and get out'o here." She stirred softly under his hand and muttered his name scooting herself closer to him.

Emmett smiled despite himself and sat on the edge of her bed opening his arms so she could crawl her upper body into his lap and lay her head against his chest. Stroking her hair he said, "Come on Darlin' you gotta get up so we can get on the road."

"Won't you stay just a little longer?" she pleaded snuggling her soft nose against his bare chest.

"No little one, come on, get up and get yourself a shower, ill go take one too come on." He lifted her up off the bed and still holding her put her on her feet.

She was a little more awake now and asked, "What about the hot water, will there be enough?"

"Don't you worry about that, I'll be taking a cold shower anyway."

Rose thought about that and the reasons why he might be desiring a cold shower when she knew he preferred them scalding hot. He was walking away from her when she spoke up, "Emmett" he turned to face her, "About last night," she was walking towards him now slowly with thoughtful eyes.

"Rose I'm sorry about last night I just," she was before him now reaching up, stretching onto her tip toes her fingers barley able to meet as her arms wound around the back of his neck. He stood frozen watching her carefully waiting for her to kiss him as it seemed she intended to.

Rose stomped her foot in frustration at the height difference as her nose brushed his chin, "Get down here and let me kiss you."

The look of frustration on her face was adorable. Grinning Emmett bent his knees and bowed his head capturing her pout in a kiss. She kissed him back urgently and sweetly shaping not only her lips, but her shapely body to his. Emmett wrapped his arms around he waist holding her even closer. After a few seconds they broke apart and looking up into his fire filled blue eyes Rose repeated, "So, about last night," and looked at him expectantly.

Emmett sighed, what about last night, what about this morning? He knew what he wanted; he wanted her, every minute of every day in every way. He wanted to come in from the barn holding her hand, he wanted to help wash the day's grime off of her, he wanted to sit with her on the couch curled before the fire before dinner, he wanted to take her to bed with him after dinner and have her in so many other ways, he wanted to feel her pressed against him as they slept, and he wanted to wake her each and every morning just as he had done this morning. He also knew what he should do, he was in charge of way too many things around the farm, he did not have time for a girlfriend, he was also her employer, which added a whole extra layer of worry to his mind, but the real question was what Would he do.

He looked at her and watched as her bright silver eyes dulled out to gray as she waited for his response, it wasn't until her hands slipped from around his neck and her eyes fell to the floor in sadness and shame that he said, "The men can't know," her eyes snapped back up to his, " it would only cause problems, but as long as we are in the house, or off the property, I don't see that it would effect our ability to work, and Rose I do want this." He assured her running a thumb across her cheek.

Smiling Rose got up on her tiptoes and reached for him again, he bent and captured her lips in his own relishing the feel of her and indulging in her scent.

"Now," he said breaking their kiss, but not letting her go, "off to the shower with you. While I go get one of my own." A very very cold one of my own he thought to himself as she skipped off to do as she was bid.

After her shower Rose put on her cloths and packed the bag that she saw waiting at the foot of her bed. Bringing it down stairs with her Rose sat down at the table next to Jacob across from Emmett.

Looking at Emmett she blushed a little, and Jasper chuckled saying, "Go ahead Emmett ask my why I sit all day staring out my window waiting for Alice just one more time."

Emmett looked away from his brother almost sheepishly not saying a word. Jacob looked around the room slightly confused, but then seeing his sister's blush said bluntly, "You two are having sex now or something aren't you. "

"NO." Emmett and I burst out at the same time. Jasper burst out laughing and clapped his choking brother on the back. Jacob started laughing too and I shot a glare at him exclaiming, "Jacob!" Eventually Emmett and I joined in the laughter for a few moments.

"Just because I have taken an interest in your sister don't mean were havin' sex, and besides aren't you too young to be talkin about sex?" Emmett explained raising an eyebrow at Jacob.

"Oh Emmett, I'd say you were right about his age when you were starting to have sex and I am sure you thought about it long before that." chuckled Jasper. Emmett turned even redder and focused on his toast making sure that the jam was spread perfectly evenly glancing up only to see Rose raising an eyebrow at him.

"Come on now Jacob go get your things so you won't be late for the bus" said Jasper. Jacob smiled at him lovingly and dashed upstairs to pack his bag.

Rose sighed looking between Jasper and the door that Jacob had just disappeared through. "I'm glad he has you," Rose said to Jasper, "and thank you for having him. Your like the father to him that he never had, I tried, God knows I try still, but even when we lived with our mom I knew I wasn't enough for him, he was always lacking something that I just couldn't seem to fill."

"Well he has filled something in me too, I hope to have children of my own soon, but know that no matter Jacob will always be welcome to live with me wherever that may be." Rose smiled at him gratitude in her grey eyes.

"Children Jasper? Your not even married, don't you think that's a little premature?"

"Actually brother, I've been meaning to tell you before she got home, and I suppose now is as good as ever, legally, Alice is my wife." Emmett stared openly at his brother, not so much in surprise at the fact that he would marry her, but that he already did.

"Why? I mean why not wait until she got back and have a proper wedding."

"We will, but" Jasper hesitated, "circumstances being what they were we felt it better, I felt it better, that we be married before she left."

"When does she get back?" Emmett asked him.

Again looking uncomfortable Jasper hesitated then said, "Her deployment ends in two months or so."

"What no exact number of months, weeks, days, hours and seconds? Bother you're slipping." Emmett teased him, but Rose watched Jasper carefully, something was wrong.

"Jasper, what's wrong?" She asked him and Emmett looked at her confused.

"Nothing at all so long as she comes home to me safe and sound." Said Jasper with a reassuring smile.


	10. Chapter 10

Later as Rose and Emmett set off in his massive black pickup Rose was still thinking of the way that Jasper had acted at the breakfast table. "Emmett," she said getting his attention, "Jasper is hiding something."

Emmett just shrugged watching the road, "His wife, I suppose he has the right to if he feels he needs to."

It still worried Rose, but she let it go.

"Emmett,"

"Hm?"

"How old were you when your dad died?"

Emmett threw a glance at her, then turning back to the road answered, "He died two days before my eighteenth birthday."

"Did you love him?"

At that Emmett almost brought the truck to a stop to look at her, but continued and answered, "Rose, he was my father, he taught me to ride, and cut, and hell he taught me my table manners, and how to keep a house, even how take care of my younger brothers, he was my idol. I loved him more than anything."

Rose nodded deep in thought and Emmett asked her, "How old were you when your father died?"

"What?"

"Your father, how old were you when he died?"

"My father isn't, oh yes… Um I was twenty two."

Emmett shot her another glance, she had almost said her father wasn't dead, that's not the kind of thing someone forgets. "That wasn't so long ago."

"No, only about eight months ago."

"Did you love him?"

Rose stared hard at the dashboard, "No."

Emmett nodded and reached over to put a hand on hers where it rested on the center console and they sat in silence for about another half hour.

Eventually Emmett squeezed her hand and asked, "what about your mom, do you love her?"

"I wish I didn't, but… for some reason I can't shake that."

"You shouldn't be able to, they're your parents."

"I suppose you could say I still love the people they were."

"What changed?"

"Everything." Rose sighed and continued, "My dad lost it a long time ago, he would do anything for power and money, my mom cheated on him and got pregnant with Jacob, when my dad told her he didn't want her anymore, she lost it. She tried to sell him once he was born, thinking that if she came back with money instead of a baby everything would be fine. I don't know what happened to him for a few years after that, my dad had me; I didn't see him again until I was fifteen and he six. She had him locked away and treated him like a slave practically, I cleaned him up and started teaching him when I came twice a week every week. That lasted for a long time, but eventually… I just took him."

Emmett had actually pulled over now into a gas station and was turned around in his seat to look at her. "Rose… what did your dad say about you leaving is that why," he reached for her neck and the scar there and she jerked away from him.

"No, that's not why anything, my father never touched me, after my mom left, I disgusted him, because I was proof he had once loved her. He never touched me not so much as a pat on the back or a hug or anything else."

"Ok, I'm sorry, come here Rose." He said lifting the center console into a seat and urging he to scoot towards him, but she really had no desire to be near anyone right now, she just needed to nurse the wounded memories for a little while, and strong arms and a loving hand couldn't help her do that.

It seemed however that Emmett disagreed because he scooted across the seats to her and wrapped her in his arms kissing the top of her head and playing with a strand of her hair. She had to admit; it did make her feel a little better, safer, like it was all behind her now.

Back at the ranch Jasper was doing just as he had promised he would, he sat by the window and watched and waited even though there was no chance of Alice this soon. He had begun do doze when he saw a car in the drive, he jumped to his feet startled and froze when he saw that it was and olive green jeep. Alice drove an olive green jeep, he thought still frozen in surprise. Then a knock by a serving maid aroused him and he ran for the door shoving rudely past the maid and flinging himself out the front door as the car came to a stop in front of the house. He looked at the face behind the wheel and he was sure, it was Alice. Jasper sprinted for the door to the jeep as she opened it and hopped out onto one foot soon followed by the other, more gently placed and a pair of crutches. "Alice!" Jasper exclaimed grabbing her up gently careful of her swollen belly and whatever injury she might have. He knocked her off balance, but held her up all the same.

"Hi," she said breathlessly her voice like the chiming of bells in his ears all over again. Jasper buried his face in her neck holding her one hand on their child that grew inside her. "Jasper," he looked up to see that her hazel eyes were as pale as her sun-tanned face, she was sick.

"What is it Love? What's wrong?"

"I got shot."

Careful to make sure she was balanced against the door of her car he stood back and took a proper look at her. She was five months pregnant and had a small belly to show for it, but what caught his attention next was the splinted bandage around her left thigh. "Ok well, come on inside and we'll talk about it, come here love, your home and your alive that's all that matters. When you stopped sending letters, I was so worried." Alice leaned forward kissing him into silence. Jasper held her to him so overjoyed at finally having his Alice in his arms again that he didn't even care that the maids were standing at the doors giggling at him, or that the barn dogs were crowding them. Scooping her minimal frame up in his arms he carried her past the maids and into the house laying her down on the couch in his study and curling up next to her his head resting softly on her belly as he had when he had first found out she was carrying their child two days before she got the order to ship out.

"What happened love?" Jasper asked her.

"Well they figured out I was pregnant two months after I shipped, I was about three months along then," Jasper nodded. "They had to move me back to base operations, but in the desert it's mostly tents and what not so I walked perimeters and checked the guns and cleaned things, they couldn't really have a gun toting pregnant woman walking around, and pregnancy hormones and guns are a well known lethal mix." She chuckled and Jasper joined her stroaking her cheek and waiting for her to continue. "They were going to send me home when I was six months along, but about five weeks before there was a raid on the base, it was during the middle of the day when they knew most of our peace keepers out be out doing crowd control because one of the generals was coming to town. They were just kids, some renegade group mostly in their teens, but they shot first and asked later. One got me in the inside of my left thigh and I was on the ground bleeding out and worried about the babies, and there were more around me they meant to kill."

"Babies?" Jasper asked jumping up to look at her.

"Hush I'm getting there, anyway the medics were in the town, but a boy probably seventeen or eighteen saw me and that I was pregnant and he came and picked me up yelling at the others to leave me be. I passed out, but he took me to his grandmother's house just outside the city, she was a healer of sorts and she took the bullet out poured some weird stuff in the wound that I think kept if from getting infected wrapped it and got me all cleaned up. She kept putting her ear to my stomach listening, finally she called her grandson over and spoke to him. He came to me and showed me a picture of his wife pregnant and smiling pointed to her belly and help up two fingers then pointed to mine and held up two fingers."

"Twins." Jasper stated simply in shock.

Alice nodded, "He pointed at my face then my leg then my face and frowned at me, then pointed at my belly and held up one finger and smiled, then a second finger and smiled again. He told me more than the army medics had for quite a while, I had twins, I was hurt, but they were okay. He picked me up again and took me in a little sand buggy back to the base about half a mile out and dropped me off saying what I am pretty sure was a blessing then yelling angrily towards the camp pointing at me repeatedly. I think he was angry for letting a pregnant woman fight."

"So then you walked back to the army and the medics were back and you had them check you out and bandage you and check the babies and the arranged for you to go home along with all of the other wounded of their little rampage?" Jasper guessed.

Tears filled her eyes and she began to tremble, Jasper held her to him his heart bleeding for everything she had been through and tight with worry for his children that she carried. "No Jasper, there were only twelve of us left on base, and they knew where we all were, the coordinated their attacks and wounded us all in a matter of seconds. The other elven are dead." Jasper just held her tighter burying his head into her scalp of shinny black hair.

"Come on Ali, let's get to bed ok? You can relax and just get used to being home again." She nodded and clung to him as he stood lifting her into his arms since he had abandoned her crutches by the car. He carried her into his room and lay her down on the bed.

As he began to pull out a tshirt for her to sleep in she asked, "Where's Emmett? Does he know?"

"Yes love he knows," Jasper said sitting behind her and unpinning her bun to release her silky black hair, "He is with our new horse mistress at an auction for the next three days."

"Horse Mistress? You boys have been busy."

"We have, she and her little brother live in the main house here with us, she's quite good actually even Thor respects her."

She laughed, "That old brute, she must be something."

Jasper chuckled, "You should ask Emmett, she's got him under her thumb too."

Alice raised an eyebrow, "Tame the horse and tame the master hu? Well good for her, that brother of yours always did need something to tie him to life more than this place, and a woman who isn't afraid to manage half ton animals could surly put him in his place."

"I'm not so sure Ali, I mean yes, she can keep him in line, but she is in need of help too, she's been roughly abused, her whole back is covered in scars like Emmett's on his leg from that bar fight."

"Are you saying someone has been cutting her back with glass?" Alice looked shocked at his sad nod as he helped her out of her cloths and into the shirt. She sighed, "Well I have PTSD from the war, twins, and a gunshot wound in my leg, she's been horrendously abused, and heavens knows you boys aren't perfect; I suppose if it isn't one thing it will be another, and we should all take what we were given and hope nothing worse comes along."

Jasper kissed his wife one more time before lying down beside her and pulling the comforter over them both. He was worried about her, she had changed a lot; she was older and wiser, but he worried about the mix of stress, PTSD, and twins. Laying his head on the pillow behind her, some of her silky black hair tickling his nose he placed a loving hand over her belly and stroked the soft skin through the thin shirt as they drifted off to sleep.


	11. Chapter 11

Meanwhile, Rose and Emmett had arrived at the auction fair grounds. The place was a hustle and bustle with people and horses roaming everywhere. Emmett parked and climbed out of the truck, Rose sat for a moment looking around watching as horse after horse passed through the vet check station. She watched as the vets glanced at some papers looked around the horse and sent it on its way. Emmett opened the door for her and held his hand out, taking it she jumped down out of the truck and said, "The vets aren't doing shit, what if the horse has a cracked coffin, it would be lame as a duck for the rest of its life, but if they drugged it, it would walk in sound."

Emmett chuckled and puller her along to the sign in booth saying, "That's cus the real reason those vets are here is so that worried old shmucks like you and me will hire them to do all those tests, and we don't have to pay until they're done either so don't you worry that pretty little head of yours about that nonsense." They smiled at each other and Emmett dropper her hand as they neared the check in table.

"Oh," exclaimed a small portly redheaded man behind the check in desk and line of about twenty people that stood before it, "Mr. Cullen, right this way please, pay no mind to the line, come along, come along now." Ushering them forward.

Again Emmett took her hand making her feel a bit like a rag doll in the hands of a small girl, but, she thought, in a way she was his toy to be dragged to and fro at his whim.

"Peter, meet Cullen Co.'s new horse trainer, Rose."

"Ah it is my pleasure Mrs… Cullen may I assume?" he glanced at her left hand where it was intertwined with Emmett's and realized his mistake, "Well no matter, please, your tent is prepared, and we will be sending you our top three vets promptly as soon as they finish their work here. Your personal auction will be held today, as soon as everyone has arrived if that pleases you sir, it will be right outside your tent. Is there any other beast that you are looking for that was not writ in our main action pamphlet? We have a whole number, including a herd of rescues that will be in one of the back rings and open to anyone who wants to get in and try to work with some of them, but I caution that they may be more than your new little trainer dear can handle, quite feral they are."

"I am interested in a beast for myself, and Rose here seems to think some sort of draft cross will fit my size and fancy more than your usual stock, if you could at least provide me with a list of such horses I would be much obliged, and I believe that 'my new little trainer dear' might like very much to have a private session with the rescues in the main pin with stock pins if you don't mind. Spectators would of course be welcome, and encouraged, I think there are many who could learn a thing or two from Rose here."

"Of course Sir, I would be happy to have the rescues moved to the main stock arena on the morning of the third day before lots are set for the beasts, and although it will take me until tomorrow to get together the draft crosses for you Sir, I should think that a mid day auction in the open outdoor would be well suited for you to be able to choose a suitable mount."

"Thank you Peter, we will go to our tent now and look over the packets for the horses now if you please."

"Of course Sir," Peter whistled to a skinny boy in the corner and jumping he strode over somewhere between a run and a walk. "Escort our honored guests to the Regal Courtier's Tent please." Wide eyed the boy nodded and gestured for them to follow him. Putting a hand on her lower back and steering her forward Emmett followed Rose and the young boy.

"I thought I said no special treatment." Said Rose a little sourly nervous being the center of so much attention, for although almost a God in these parts Emmett was a well-known figure, but the girl who his hand rarely left was a new phenomenon.

Recognizing her discomfort Emmett said, "Really Darlin' it's not like I try, it would be an insult if I didn't ask Peter for what I wanted, it would seem as if I didn't think him worthy of helping me pick a horse."

"He's right you know Miss." Said the boy in front of her, "Mr. Peter would be much insulted if Master Cullen did not permit him to help him anymore."

Rose sighed, "Well I suppose it can't hurt to have him pull some stuff together for us if that's all it is."

Knowing what she was hinting at Emmett added, "I am sure that Peter will be joining us during the actions to give his professional opinion as usual as well."

Rose glared at him, but they had reached their tent, a huge thing filled with wooden stalls, an air conditioned room with couches, a waiting room for sale owners, and more than ten grooms. Emmett thanked and tipped the boy before leading Rose into the lounge room where they were apparently meant to spend most of their days.

"I don't like him." Rose exclaimed once they were inside and away from earshot.

"Why ever not my new little trainer dear?"

Rose glared her displeasure at him and he chuckled pulling her down onto the couch next to him and looking at her seriously. "Rose, he's a auction owner, half those rescues that don't sell are probably going strait to illegal warehouses to be made into meat. He's a sleaze, but he's one of the better sleazes out there, and he runs a damn good auction. Besides his insight can sometimes be useful, he sees more of theses horses than we do sometimes he catches something."

"I wouldn't find him fit to pick a mount even if he lived with the damn thing." Rose exclaimed stubbornly her nose in the air.

"You're too damn cute." Emmett said flicking a finger softly across her upturned nose.

Her expression fell and then became serious, "Emmett, why are you having me look at the rescues, and why make such a big deal about it with people watching and all?"

"A few reasons Darlin'," Emmett replied seriously, "One because like you, I am a bleeding heart and I wouldn't mind bring a few of them home with us for you to play with if you find some you like. Two because I want to show you off my little cowgirl, you're something else with horses and they should all see it especially Peter. Finally, purchases bids on the rescues can't be placed until the last day, they start at one hundred dollars and go up from there, they all have numbers and you just write down your bid on a chart, I'm hoping that seeing you handle some of them will give other trainers hope for their ability to be turned into good working horses. Most are hard-core cowboys and rope them up and chase them around and there's five or six in at a time usually, all the horses are so scared shitless it's a joke. Maybe you can save a few of them from Peter."

Rose nodded and sighed, she wanted to save them all from Peter, but she knew she couldn't. "You can't right all the world's wrongs Darlin' so don't try, you'll only die young and angry." Wrapping an arm around her shoulders Emmett squeezed her to him and nuzzled her hair before kissing it and releasing her to get up and find the schedule.

"Rose, the estimated start of the Cullen action is at eleven o'clock today, it's nine fifty three now, we need to be ready to leave here around ten thirty, you need anything before we go?"

"Some food and a bathroom would be nice." Emmett pointed her to the restroom and promised her food on her return. Maybe, just maybe, she though, she could get used to this.

Thirty or so minutes later Emmett and Rose were walking towards the action tent and Emmett was explaining how the proceedings were going to work. "So first they'll bring the horse out and show it off a bit why the auctioneer reads its info out to us. That is when we will have time to take a good look at the beast; we will be the closest to the arena in an arena box so well have a good view. You and I will decide how high we will bid on the horse, if at all, then I will stand. Once I stand and the auctioneer is done announcing the horse, he will begin the action. You aren't registered to place a bid, so if you need to get my attention just tap me and tell me to bid more than we agreed or stop if you see something that changes your mind."

Rose nodded and arriving at their box settled down in the chair next to Emmett. She felt like they were royalty sitting upon a dais awaiting a great show in their honor. She looked around at the crowd sitting around them and noticed a lot of people staring and pointing at her. Emmett said, "Ignore them, most of them just have their panties in a twist because the have daughters they though I would marry one day." He chuckled.

"And don't they?" Rose asked.

"Doubt it, I'm a picky man little cowgirl cus you see, I'm selfish, I am gunna want my woman all to my self all day long, so she can't much mind working the ranch with me, but I also can't be worried about her safety, so she has to be good at it too. That being said thought, most of that type of women have hair all a ratted mess, and are all skin and bones, I like my women clean and well kempt with plenty of meat on their bones and nice curves to boot, but not over weight. I wouldn't touch most of their daughters with a riding stick much less any part of myself. Just wait until the annual rancher's ball, you'll see most of them then."

"Ball?" Rose asked gulping, balls meant expensive dresses and jewelry if she didn't want to embarrass her hosts, but expensive things meant money, and money meant less savings.

"Ya every year we hold one at the manor, all the major land owners and ranch men come out with their families, and a few prized trainers or workers."

"What about me will I have to go?"

"Of course."

"But then I have to buy a dress and everything, and I just don't need all that."

Emmett chuckled glancing at her from the corner of his eye and saying smoothly, "And deprive me the chance to see you all dressed up? I think not." And with that the auctioneer came out and announced the opening of the live auction.

Rose redirected her attention to the Auctioneer even though something about Emmett's words had left her breathless and her heart pounding.

"Alright ladies and Gents, we're gunna start of the Cullen auction with lot number 739572, this is a rather special young mare, only three years old, and completely unbroken." A handler opened a pin on the far end and the mare raced into the center of the ring bucking and squealing her displeasure at her surroundings and the loud sound system.

Emmett looked at her and asked, "The hell is this?" but Rose wasn't listening she was standing leaning over the edge of the box transfixed on the pony.

"A mere 14 hands and eight hundred pounds, this mare simply won't do for most of your ranch hands, but perhaps Mr. Cullen has a child for which he wants this pony, or even a petite woman, but I would warn, she looks feisty!"

The mare was a dark almost maroon red spotted with white flecks all over except for her face which was pure maroon with a large white star and a cute little snip. Her main and tail were a golden color. Rose liked her. The mare calmed down a little and broke into a floaty trot bringing front legs up high and square, and reaching full through with her back legs. She threw her head and Rose could see the muscles on her neck and back stand out.

"This mare is a Newfoundland Mountain pony, a breed known for their sure feet, and above average intelligence and a strong instinct for safety." The announcer continued as the mare pranced around the arena.

"Sir, if I may," said a voice from behind them and both Emmett and Rose turned to see Peter, "That mare isn't fit to run your mill, nor do you have anyone small enough, but strong enough to break such a idiotic temperament as that mare has, I wouldn't give five hundred for her."

"This mare's lot is startin' out at one thousand, I'll give y'all a moment to think on it now." Finished the auctioneer turning to watch Emmett.

"I don't see what we would do with her if we bought her so Peter you may be right." Said Emmett watching the mare.

"Seven thousand." Said Rose sitting back down. Both men turned to stare at her and Peter looked as if he was choking on his own tongue as he sputtered, "Thousand, more like hundred if you're crazy."

"I am neither crazy nor mistaken, this mare is worth twice that with a little training, and triple when I'm done with her." Looking at Emmett who was watching the horse with concentration now. Leaning in so only she could hear him she whispered, "Do you trust me?"

Emmett turned to look into her silver eyes so alive with excitement and felt the ghost of her breath on his neck as she had whispered to him and nodded standing up. Glancing back at Peter Rose was happy to see that he was looking incredulously at the back of Emmett's head his mouth agape.

"Alrighty then Ladies and Gents, you've had your time and here we begin the action. Do I have one thousand, one one one one one K that's all it takes ladies and gents just one one one one thousand dollars."

"One Thousand." Bellowed Emmett raising his hand.

The auctioneer bowed to him and continued saying, "How about two? Do I hav two thousand? Two, just two now yall, come on with two two two two."

"I'll do two" Screamed out another man across the way.

"Two five!" interrupted Emmett not even letting the Auctioneer move on and bringing the sale incumbent down to five hundreds instead of a thousand.

"We have two five I the box! Can I bring you to three Sir," he said looking at the other man to bid, he shook his head, "Then do I have three anywhere anywhere anywhere? Three three three just a little old three, a three three three? Alright yall come on give me a three three three three three thousand. No? Then I have two five going once… twice..."

"Three!" shrieked a woman to Emmett's left.

"Thank you Miss now we have three so can I bring you to a three five Sir?" Emmett looked the auctioneer strait on for long moments before he continued, "Three five, three five, three five? Anyone out there for a nice little pony for a three five? Alrighty then Three going once…" Rose slapped Emmett's thigh and looked up at him as if asking 'what the hell buy me the damn horse' and chucking at her Emmett petted her head and waited. "Twice…"

"Four!" Emmett proclaimed strongly and everyone around looked at him in awe whether from the jumped bid on a crazy horse or the commanding tone of his voice Rose was not sure.

"Four! Any takers on four five?" Asked the auctioneer knowing that there wouldn't be any he continued to, "Ok going to Mr. Cullen for four thousand once… Twice… and… SOLD!"

Rose grinned up at him as Emmett sat and leaned over so that his lips were whispering on her earlobe as his and cupped the back of her neck and said, "Do you trust me?" His flesh so close to hers and his words alike sent shudders up her spine. Releasing her he ran his fingers down her spine before returning his attention to the twelve men trying to round the mare back into her pin and chuckled. "You do like a challenge don't you little cowgirl. What will you do with her anyway."

"Train her, she's just an amazing piece of horseflesh, and I like her attitude. Worst case I'll get her trained and you can sell her if you can't find someone to ride her and I only need Flicker, but I'm thinking I could use a spare, and ponies make good cutting horses if you're small enough."

"Fare enough." He said chuckling at her.

"Well Mr. Cullen, if I am intruding, I would be happy to excuse myself." Peter said bitterly glairing at Rose.

"Well Peter, I would appreciate your input, but if you are busy I certainly understand."

Peter huffed indignantly and said, "I will help however I can Sir, I simply thought that perhaps too many opinions in one room, well you know Sir."

"I do know Peter, but you see we all have a place here, Rose is going to be training all of these horses, you know them all better than we, and I will be paying for them all and responsible for their ownership."

"Very well Sir."


	12. Chapter 12

Emmett and Rose bought seventeen horses, ranging in price from four thousand up to a big calm flexible young steel grey gelding for eight thousand five hundred. All but the pony were of average size and weight and Emmett and Rose felt that they could quickly be turned into good cutting horses.

Afterwards Rose and Emmett walked back to their tent to meet the owners and the doctors who were inspecting the horses. When they were about a hundred feet away they heard the sound of a horse kicking and men cussing at it. Raising an eyebrow Emmett picked up the pace Rose close behind him. When he pushed back the tent flap they could see that it was the pony mare that was making the fuss. She was in the first wooden stall and kicking it repeatedly eyes spinning wildly with terror. Emmett begain to run towards the group yelling at them to get back, Rose had to cling to the back of his shirt to weave between the bodies and up to the stall front without getting pulled back by the retreating crowd. The mare was circling franticly swinging her head from side to side and kicking at everything she could. There was water sloshed on the ground from the broken water bucket, and the place looked like the canvas roof had decided to rain hay.

"She's claustrophobic." Rose whispered to herself

"What?" yelled Emmett over the din of the mare's antics.

"Emmett, in the truck, in my bag, the little red tool box get it." Looking at her for another split second Emmett ran off to where the truck was parked. Rose looked around at the men, "who has a lasso?" No one answered. "Well how the hell did you get her here without one you idiots, someone has a God damn lasso. Give it to me. Now." She commanded at the top of her voice. A small wide-eyed man grabbed a lasso out of another man's hand and threw it at her. She gathered it and made sure that it was wound correctly as she heard Emmett run back. "Get them all out." She commanded, "And get that north side of the tent that opens onto the field opened up as far back as they can pull the flaps."

"You heard her!" Emmett bellowed at the shocked men, "Get the tent opened up and get the hell out of here!" About half of the company ran south to the exit and the other half north to open the flaps.

"Emmett lift me up, I need to be able to get this rope over the top of the stall, but make sure you put me down soon as I throw it ok?"

Emmett nodded lifting her into the air above his head his hands digging into her sides. Rose wound up the lasso and throwing it flat into the corner of the stall that the mare was not in, and felt her feet touch back to the ground as she released enough rope to keep the loop open and flat, but Emmett did not let go of her not sure what she was doing but not trusting her to the mare. The mare spooked and bucked at where the loop had entered her back right foot landing in the circle of rope. Rose pulled on the rope hard making the loop close on the mare's leg then using the top beam of the stall and her weight as a pulley system she lifted the mare's back foot into the air. The mare fought and thrashed and bucked but soon quieted realizing that she was being eaten by the very monster that she feared and it was already too late to fight.

"Emmett, the kit, get out a vial that says Aceprmazine Maleate, get a syringe and get me uhhhhh eight hundred pounds so, 32mgs. He let go of her and started clinking around looking for the right vial while Rose held fast to the rope and the mare's occasional struggles. Looking to her right down the isle Rose saw that the flaps were open and the people gone. Emmett returned with the syringe of medication and Rose said, "Open the stall to the right if hers and get the horse out put him in an empty stall or with another horse I don't care. He did so quickly as Rose clamped the syringe between her teeth firmly still fighting the mare on the end of the rope on the occasions that she tried to tug free. When Emmett returned she gestured him over with her head and handed him the rope. Taking the syringe back into her hand she said "if I try to get this into her in there she'll kill me, we have to get her outside. I am going to open the stall door just a hair to grab the rope through the side then pull a bit through and close it again, don't let it go slack but let me pull it through ok? Once I have it though and the door closed I'll let you know when to let go, then I'll get set and u need to open that stall next to her's up so that you can jump in there cus when I say I need you to open her stall and get the hell out of the way, I'll keep a distance but run behind her best I can until we're out of the tent then pull her up to a stop with the rope, she thinks a predator has that leg or something, so she will stop to fight when I pull on it and I can keep her held up until she calms enough for me to hand her over to you and I'll go give her the injection, so once were gone come on out ok?"

"Your crazy my little cowgirl, don't get yourself hurt."

Rose grinned at him before putting the syringe back between her teeth making sure the needle was where it wouldn't hurt her no matter what she did and that the stopper was pressed into the lock position so that the plunger couldn't be pushed.

The rest happened quickly, Rose opened the door just enough to get her arm in and pull a loop of rope out as the mare kicked and floundered before Rose slammed the door shut again a loop of rope trapped on the outside. Rose took a good grip with her right hand, and with her left she began to feed more and more of the rope from Emmett's hands and the top of the stall out to her. Once the rope was through she started to walk back keeping it taught and heaving on it when the mare kicked. She was almost twenty feet from the door to the stall when she stopped and looked at Emmett who was standing half in half out of the neighboring stall a long arm extended ready to flip the latch and shove the door to the stall away from him with all his strength before jumping back into his stall, which at the nod of her head he did.

As soon as Rose and the mare heard the door opening they both began running full force for the open end of the tent. Rose thanked God that the tent was short and that she did not have to chase the mare for long letting the rope steadily slip from her fingers and the mare outpaced her. Once they were outside Rose planted a foot sideways and heaved with all of her weight against the rope wrapping it around her hip anchoring it to her. The rope dug into her and her back and knees screamed with pain as the mare was dragged to a halt her leg hung out behind her.

The mare stood shaking, kicking, bucking, and spinning for several minutes before finally calming enough for Rose to hand the rope off and start to approach her. The mare watched her with wide rolling eyes as Rose took the syringe out of her mouth and walked steadily closer hands outstretched one foot in front of the other slowly.

When she got within kicking distance Rose stopped gaging the mare as she fought the rope a little but mostly stood shaking and hobbled. Rose continued cooing to the mare soothingly. The mare flinched and snorted when Rose touched her neck for the first time, but after a few attempts Rose was able to pet and pinch the jugular vein on the mare's neck before she unlocked the plunger, stuck the needle up the vein and shot the plunger down as quickly as possible. The mare squealed and tried to whirl on Rose in protest of the pain, but Emmett hauled on her leg and Rose was well outside of kicking range. Popping the front off of the syringe Rose twisted the gate valve to seal the chamber then prying out the plunger and dropping the needle inside the chamber she put both chamber and plunger in her back pocket. She approached the mare again trying to talk to and sooth her occasionally getting close enough to pet her neck or belly for the next ten minutes or so. After that the mare was calming down significantly and begging to look sleepy so she grabbled the rope about four feet from the mare's foot and replacing Emmett's constaint hold she yelled to him, "Get me a halter, I think there are extras in the back of the pickup."

Letting go of the rope Emmett jogged off to the truck. "See there little girl, it's not so bad," Rose cooed to her stroking her neck and nose even collecting her golden forelock and smoothing it into place. Emmett returned with the halter slowly before handing it to Rose. Slipping the lead rope around the sedated mare's neck Rose slipped the halter on her and lead her to a tent post where she tied her outside before taking the rope from her foot and tying it with the lead rope on the halter so that it did not drag on the ground and rested around her neck instead.

Rose stood back thirty or forty feet from the mare watching her and setting an alarm on her watch. She was about to collapse as the adrenaline ran out of her body all in one rush. She plopped her ass down on the grass and Emmett sat down beside her putting an arm around her exhausted and shaking for. "Now that we're not in danger of being trampled, what the hell was that?" he asked.

Rose giggled a little and sighed, "She's claustrophobic, the stall was driving her insane, I had to get her outside before she would calm down enough for me to sedate her, but I didn't want to just let her loose on the fair grounds."

Emmett picked up one of her hands and ran his hand lightly over her palm where there were angry red rope-burn lines. "Are you ok?" He asked her pulling her closer to him and resting his cheek against the top of her head.

"I'll be sore in the morning, ill have a bruise on my hip and side from trying to stop her, and the rope burn will have to be dealt with, but yes I'm ok."

"You still want to keep her?" he asked looking at the mare.

"Of course." He nodded knowing that that was going to be her response.

"I just can't wait until that sniveling little bit of a man comes asking for his money for her." Emmett said and they both laughed a little. Oh God, thought Rose, it felt good to laugh.


	13. Chapter 13

Soon the owners and doctors came back and Rose let me mare graze under the observation of one of the workers and she accompanied Emmett into the tent. They went from horse to horse looking them over before the doctors did their tests and Emmett signed the contracts, which had clauses stating that the contract was null and void if any of the doctor's tests came up positive. Emmett wrote each man a check and moved on. One bay overo mare had a splint on her pastern and Rose sent her and her owner away to reinter the other actions, and a fleabitten gray was missing half his teeth. All told they had to send back five horses for physical defect if some sort.

The doctors ended their day with the Cullen horses by looking at the Flaxen liver chestnut roan mare, (also can be called a Flaxen Lilac Roan) the looked at her from a distance for long moments until Rose showed them what she was sedated with and her stop watch saying that the second injection that she had done an hour ago still had two hours of good strong effectiveness when they finally moved forward and started working with her. Rose inspected her finding her flawless and apart from some muscle tension the only thing that the vets found was that she had been drugged.

"What do you mean drugged?" Rose asked thinking to herself, surely these vets aren't about to tell me that I drugged my own horse like I don't already know that.

"Yes Ma'am this horse is sedated."

"Clearly!" said Rose throwing her hands in the air and walking away. Rose went and sat in the lounge just wanting to get away from this stupidity.

Brain laughed as Rose walked away exasperated, she was so damn cute. He turned back to the vets, thanked them, and signed the paperwork saying that he was aware the horse was sedated and therefore any other drugs I the horse's system was not the responsibly of the vets to find.

After dismissing them for the day Emmett turned to the one man who was left almost cowering in front of the table that had been provided him for contracts and the such. Emmett walked over behind the desk but did not sit down, standing, his heavily muscled arms crossed in front of his chest he looked down at the man and said, "Now sonny look here, tell me now did you drug that there mare?"

"Sir, if she acted like that sedated do you think I would risk my neck for four thousand? All I want is my money and ill be gone."

"I'm sure you think your damn cute don't you? Lettin' my little cowgirl buy that beast of yours like she was sane, chargin us rich folk through the nose for no more than another blood bath. Not tellin anyone she don't do well in closed spaces." The man was trembling and looking around him as if for support from some outside party, but the hands that were around seemed oblivious to the two businessmen. "Now here's what we're gunna do, we're gunna send that there horse back to the auction with you, and my good friend Peter is going to mark her as dangerous, and then you will take her home, and no glue factory or meat buyer anywhere will buy her for any amount cus she's about to become the most famous horse alive when I tell about how you sent me a mare that tried to kill me cus it weren't treated right cus you wanted and easier sell."

"No, please, ok, half. I'll give her to you for half, two thousand?"

"Ok friend let me tell you what I can do for you," Emmett said sitting down and pulling out a pen and paper. "Let's see here so two thousand, but then we've already had to use sixty dollars of tranqus, and it will be another two doses before I get her home so take out a hundred and twenty dollars for that," he made the math on paper and looked back up at the man, "My girl has burns on both hands, bruises and sore muscles, you know son she was hurt on the job, she could sue me for that so I decided that I needs to see a doctor, and you know son, those are expensive, so that will be another five hundred. The stall is all smashed up, I paid a ten thousand dollar deposit on that, but that's probably only about six hundred dollars worth of damage." Emmett marked those expenses too and the man's face was paper pail as he saw where this was going. "Now you see here, my good man's rope is all frayed up too that will be another sixty dollars for him." Emmett wrote down the final expense and did the math, "See here my friend, it seems I owe you seven hundred and twenty dollars." Emmett made the check out and handed it to him daring him to argue. The man did not, and with a glare and a backwards glance he ran without another word.

Emmett sat back down at the desk and wrote a letter to his men explaining that this was the first round of horses, that the pony mare was drugged and to be turned out on her own and not to have human contact apart from feed and hay until he an Rose was home. Calling a worker over he asked him to fetch the shipper with the largest trailer. He paid the man full in advance, gave him the address, the note, and a syringe with a final dose of sedatives with instructions to give it to the mare in one hour, and sent twelve horses on their way to Cullen Ranch.

Emmett packed up all of their things, told Peter that they were leaving then when to collect Rose. She was sitting in the lounge with a bucket of tea-collared water in front of her and piles of gauze, vet wrap, and a jar of silvery white cream. He sat down on the couch across from her watching until he realized what she was doing. "No." he said gabbing her hand and holding it form dipping into the bucket.

"Emmett chill I'm fine, this is bedidine solution, it cleans the area," She pulled her hand free and dropped it into the bucket before taking a piece of gauze in her other hand and dipping it in laying the wet gauze on one of the open sterile packages that they came in. Pulling her hand out she dried it on a rag and meticulously cleaned her palm with the wet gauze. Throwing the used gauze into a trash bin she picked up a clean piece and dragged it into the jar of cream, "This is silvadine, it keeps it from getting infected."

"Are these from your horse medical kit or a people one?" Emmett asked suspiciously.

She ignored him as she slathered her burned palm in the cream and threw the used gauze away again. Taking a clean piece she laid it on top of the cream and then grabbed the blue medical wrap and using her middle finger on the hand she was wrapping she held the end in place and began to wrap her palm, "The clean gauze will make sure nothing gets in, and the equine vet wrap seals better, and will keep the gauze on. Just because I'm human doesn't mean horse medicine doesn't work just as well. They use it on people too, just not always in the same ways, and that's why I have to dilute the bedidine so much."

Emmett sighed and buried his head in his hands. "Rose, no seriously Darlin' stop." He said grabbing both of her hands as she went to do her other hand. He sighed and kissed first her bandaged hand then her non-bandaged hand, "Lets get you some real medical treatment, please."

"Emmett, you think I haven't had some rope burn before, and do you think I haven't ever been to a real doctor? I'm poor not desperate. They are just gunna give me the same shit and a five hundred dollar bill for my trouble. It's easier and cheaper this way."

"Rose, you were hurt on the job, never fix yourself up for something that happens for work, we pay for all of that."

"Well you don't need to." She was glaring at him now and he really didn't want to fight with her, he just cared and wanted to make sure she was ok. Taking her unwrapped hand in his he began to wash it softly with the bedidine solution while wetting a gauze square as she had done.

"Now that's better," she said closing her eyes and just letting his warm calloused fingers take care of it.

"Well come on then, let's go check into the hotel were done here for now, your little mare and the eleven others are on their ways home, and everything is all wrapped up for today." Brain helped her up off the couch gulping as he watched her breasts bounce as she sprung up. Hotel, he thought, why the hell hadn't he thought of this, he wanted nothing more than to strip her down and get his hands on her soft curves right here, he wanted to hear her moan under his fingers and her lips working their way down his neck, and now he was going to take her to a hotel room and behave himself? He considered for a moment getting them separate rooms, but then remembered why that wasn't an option. It wasn't safe here, this little town was shabbier than most and the horse trade being in town crooks, rapists, and thieves would be out in hoards and he knew they would take note of his cowgirl. This was going to be a long night culminating in a lot of cold showers. Watching him for a reaction Rose reached up to where his hand was slung over her shoulder and laced her fingers with his. Glancing down at her he smiled and gave her hand a little squeeze as they approached the truck.

"So it's true, I though surely Peter was foolin me, but you do have a little play toy now, I heard you bought her a crazy pony she has to keep sedated to control, and you've given her a job 'training horses'. I'm sure she's riding alright, but it aint horses she's jumpin on." Said a man from behind them, Emmett who had stopped walking and grown ridged at the man's voice now turned letting go of her hand and straitened to his full height.

"Ralf, pleasure to see you to. How is Victoria, oh that's right, she's pregnant with that groom's kid isn't she?" The man's face turned purple red with anger.

"If you had been better to her, if you had welcomed her into your house like this hussy she wouldn't have felt the need to seek other comforts. A man that can't hold his woman's interest deserves to be cheated on."

"If Victoria could break wild steeds like my Rose here she would have been more than welcome on my payroll and in my house, but as it was she was good for nothing but complaining about the heat and the dust and the fact that my maids aren't required to ware high heels. If you don't believe that I hired Rose for her horse riding skills come watch her work the rescues on the last day, and as for our relationship, well I figure that's between us."

The man glowered at Emmett, but walked on. As he was passing Rose however he lunged forward hand outstretched as if to slip something into her shirt, and spat in her face saying "Dirty Hussy".

Emmett leapt for ward at the man, but he was stopped by Rose, who was already burying her knee in the man's stomach one arm wrapped under his arm and up around his shoulder so he couldn't avoid the blow. The man fell when she released him coughing and gasping for the wind that she had knocked out of him and trying to keep down his lunch. "Go ahead and call my a Hussy one more time, and you won't be able to sleep with any more of them for at least a month." She kicked his hand open and looked at the twenty that he had been planning to slip into her bra. "What did you plan to get with that? A look at my boobs or some warts?" Disgusted Rose started to walk off.

Emmett wasn't nearly done though, not only had this man had the nerve to spit in his worker's face, but he had also tried to buy services from his girlfriend. Emmett picked the man up by the collar ready to scream at him before Rose said, "Emmett, I handled it. Lets go find somewhere we can crash from the night and get checked into a couple rooms," and climbed into the passenger side of the truck waiting for him. Sighing Emmett threw the man onto the ground and went and climbed into the truck. As he started the engine he looked at her and asked, "Rose darlin', are you okay?"

Rose didn't look at him and simply said, "You dated his daughter?" a disgusted look on her face.

"Well cowgirl, what do you think made me realize women just weren't worth the trouble?"

That made her smile a little, but he was still worried about how she felt about it all. She didn't say much on the way to the hotel saying something about one of the horses they bought or wondering how Jacob or Jasper was doing, but she wouldn't look at him.

Jacob exited the bus and started the long walk up to the manor surprised that Jasper had not met him. Once he got into the house and said hello to some of the nicer maids he went in search of his mentor. Looking into his study he noticed that the chair was tipped back on the floor and Jasper was nowhere to be seen. At his point Jacob was starting to worry that something was wrong, so he went and knocked on the door gently waiting a few moments before opening it and poking his head in. He stood in the doorway frozen for a moment at the sight of Jasper lying in bed curled around a raven-haired woman who, from what he could tell by the lay of the blankets, was pregnant. He backed out slowly closing the door quietly so as not to wake them and ran to his room. Jacob sat with his back against the door staring at his hands and thinking. If Jasper had a girl and kids now he wouldn't have much time for him, and though he knew he should be happy for Jasper, particularly if that was as he suspected Alice who Jasper had been so worried about, but some part of him was too busy mourning the loss of the only father figure that he had known to be happy for him.

"Don't worry Jacob, we're still your friends."

"Yes we will always be your friends."

"And there are so many of us!"

Jacob looked at the stack of books in the corner from which the voices emanated.

"But you're just books, how can you really be my friends? Besides Rose said that books can't even really talk."

"Rose," the dark blue book scoffed, "That darling sister of yours that left you here all alone to go play rodeo cowgirl with her new boyfriend?"

"And what do you mean we can't be your friends," Said the red one, "We're the only ones who have been there for you all along."

The green one piped up in a considerably more high-pitched voice because it was a new story, "Remember when you first read me? Remember how happy I made you feel, you made me feel the same way you know Jacob."

"I do remember, but what about these people, I need them too."

"Oh, I'm sorry Jacob, were you speaking to someone?" said a maid from the doorway.

"Oh, Becky, no I wasn't just to myself, please come in."

The girl with the long blond hair and satin blue eyes came and sat cross-legged on the floor beside him her skirts at awkward angles and the tale of her satin ribbon being crushed under her.


	14. Chapter 14

"Are you ok Jacob?"

"Yes of course, how have you been Becky?"

"Oh, well enough I suppose, it's easier with Master Emmett gone, although he has mellowed out considerably since you and your sister arrived. I think it's that horse-whisperer of a sister you've got that's finally done it."

"Yes well, that does worry me a little, what kind of man is your Master Emmett?"

"Oh, Master Emmett? He can have a short temper, but he has never come after anyone in his anger, and he has never asked for one of the maids to his bed unlike his brother Edward. He expects everything to be perfect, but when he corrects someone he is informative and although short never harsh, but he is fare if it kills him."

"So he will bring her no harm?"

"I doubt it, he's not the type, if he fancies her, he will pursue her as any gentleman in our times would, but if he doesn't he will leave her to do her job and nothing more. Don't worry about them Jacob, you're sister is an adult, and can take care of herself. It is you I worry about."

"Don't worry Becky, I'm fine."

When they arrived at the hotel Emmett got all of the bags out of the truck and led Rose inside. He walked up to the front desk and asked, "A reservation for Cullen please."

The girl looked up startled from the computer at her desk and Rose saw her exit out of a game of solitaire. "Oh, yes Sir, one moment please."

Rose smiled and chuckled a little at the girl and Emmett gave her a questioning look. She shook her head and smiled at him.

"Ah of course Mr. Cullen in the president's suit, room four hundred and twelve, here is your keys. It says here two queen beds, but mayhap that was a mistake I could have that switched for a single king if you prefer?" The girl eyed Rose speculatively.

"The queens will be fine thank you." Said Emmett ignoring the girl and looking for Rose's reaction to them sharing a single room.

Rose stiffened a little at the idea of sharing a bedroom with Emmett, but then looked around and saw more than one man eyeing her, and two rather filthy ones in the corner conversing fervently and pointing at her. Emmett followed her glance and taking the keys from the woman at the desk, who he now noted was batting her eyelashes profusely, gestured for Rose to go in front of him as he directed her towards the elevator. Once they were inside and the door was shutting they were both suddenly highly aware of one another.

"What do you wish to do tonight Rose?"

"Hmm, I think first I want a shower, then maybe to relax a bit before we to something. Taking care of Tanzer kinda wore me out."

"Tanzer?"

"It is German, my mother used to call me that sometimes, it means Dances; that's what I want to call the little mare."

"She knows how to dance that's for sure little cowgirl."

They arrived at the room and Emmett opened the door and stuck one of the keys into the light switch so that the room lit up. It was beautiful, all warm cream gold and brown with plush comforters and a gleaming marble bathroom. Rose stared open mouth at the luxury of the room.

"Something wrong?" Emmett asked kindly having set down their bags and coming back to her hand outstretched.

"No, it s just so… so nice."

"Don't worry about it Rose. Come on now, just enjoy it."

He led her to the space of floor between the two beds, "Which do you want?"

Rose looked up at him from the corner of her eye then launched herself into the bed by the window and giggling when her weary form hit the soft plush mattress. As she lay and her body began to relax she groaned as her exhaustion took over.

Emmett was laughing at her heartily as she pounced onto her bed, but his chuckles stuck in his through as it went completely dry at the sound of her groan. He coughed a little to get his voice back and said, "Ill take first shower then so that you can rest." At her conformational groan he swallowed the urge to follow her onto the bed and turned for the bathroom with his bag.

When he emerged a while later he heard what sounded like whimpering and crying. He hurried to dress in a soft shirt and a pair of sweatpants and opened the bathroom door to see Rose curled up on her bed whining. He rushed over to her having to climb onto the bed a bit to get to her and realized that she was still sleep. Tears were streaming down her face and her body was shaking; she was whimpering and pleading with an unknown face to "Please just stop, please!".

Emmett wasn't sure what to do, so he let his instincts take over. He picked Rose up in his arms holding her close to him, saying constantly, "It's ok Darlin', it's ok, you're safe Darlin'. Shhhh, your with me now Darlin', your okay." Still she quivered and cried in his arms and he turned her so that he was holding her princess style in his arms and kissed her forehead as he rocked her against him.

With a gasp and a jolt Rose shot up out of Emmett's arms as if she was awaking in water and attempting to save herself. She broke down crying and shuddering on the foot of her bed ignoring Emmett completely. He scooted himself over on the bed and touched her back cautiously. She jumped and spun on him a small scream escaping her lips.

"Easy Darlin, it's just me." She sat in a protective position gasping for air and staring at him wide eyed. "Rose, tell me what's wrong, please Rose."

She looked at him as if she was seeing a ghost and said, "Why?"

"Why what darlin'?"

"Why do you care?" she asked her voice timid an shaking as she cowered on the corner of her bed.

"Oh, Darlin' don't ask me that." He said dropping his head into his hands. What could he tell her really? How could he make her trust him without lying to her? Could he really just tell her the truth and have that be the end of it? What would she do if he just said… He shook his head and thought to himself, what are you a fucking teenaged boy? Grow some balls and just say, "Rose, I don't know. All I can tell you is that I have no right to want any part of you, and yet I want all of you. I have no right to be close to you, but I want nothing more than to never let you leave my arms. I have no right to love you, but I fear that I do."

She looked at him as if deciding whether or not to trust him. "What do I have to do?"

"Make yourself happy, that's all I ask. Rose, I expect nothing from you, I just want to help you."

She looked at him for a moment more then crawled slowly into his lap curling up there.

"How can I help you Dear?"

"Just hold me, and listen."


	15. Chapter 15

AN: a short but powerful chapter where you learn Rose's past. WARNING: No detail, but there is rape, abuse, human trafficking, and other unfortunate things. Again no detail, just an event by event time line of what happened to her. IF you don't want to read it don't, but you need to read the last 5 paragraphs, theres nothing bad in there and it's an important Em Rose moment.

That he did as she began her story pouring herself into him as she had never done to anyone ever before, "When I was young everything was great, my parents weren't wealthy, but we never wanted for food or shelter so I never had room to complain. As I grew older my father began to make more money, and we had more luxuries, but he was obsessed with it, and I soon realized he would do anything for money. When I was nine of course Jacob was born and my father pushed him and my mother out. He kept me though, I thought I was because he loved me, but I later found out that I reminded him of a time when he was foolish enough to love my mother, and he hated me for it, but he found a way that I could bring him money so I was valuable. He used me to make business deals, at first he just stripped me naked and let people see me, or tell me to crawl around or lay down or something, but by the time I was thirteen he was letting them touch me and play with me. When I was a little older he started renting me out for sex and whatever else those men had in mind. It wasn't until I was almost seventeen that things got really bad though," At this she choked up a little and Emmett thought, dear god, as if that wasn't bad enough. Then she regained her breath and continued, "There was a man who wanted to make a big deal with my dad it was going to last several years so he wanted me to come live with him in his wine seller and he could do with me as he wished. My dad sent me and I stayed with him. He had… shall we say strange fetishes."

"Rose Darlin' don't spare me tell me what he did to you love."

"He enjoyed pain, it turned him on, and that's not too abnormal I guess, but he was different. He would get drunk and break a bottle on the concrete; he would use the sharp glass to cut me as he raped me, or maybe before, sometimes just as he was starting to climax. It was years, five actually; that I lived down there, there were probably seven cuts open at a time. One fresh one slightly scabbed and the rest healing on a slope from then out, they cracked and bled, but I couldn't scream, I couldn't fight, the abuse only got worse, it only turned him on more."

Emmett squeezed her in his arms whether from anger or for comfort neither one of them knew. "Darlin'… I don't even know what to say." She put her fingers on his lips to silence him.

"I was twenty-two, he needed to go on a month long business trip, he wanted me to come with him. He put me in the back of the car, I was drugged, I really wasn't sure what was going on, I was so confused. I knew enough to see that I was out of the damn cellar though I pulled the door open and tumbled out. The car was going somewhere upwards of fifty miles an hour." She closed her eyes and sat up in Emmett's grasp. He let her go, but kept his hands on her sides not willing to let her go now that he was aloud to hold her. She started to pull off her shirt and he almost went to stop her before he remembered her scars, this was the sign that he had not even known he was waiting for; she was opening her self to him fully. He saw the myriad of scars across her back, but as she turned to face him he saw a completely different type of scar. From her left hip up to the upper right side of her stomach was a patch of slightly discolored skin with sharp lines outlining it. It was about four inches wide and looked so odd that he wasn't sure what he was looking at. Standing by the foot of the bed she began to remove her pants and he saw that the strange scaring stretched down past her thong and along her left thigh. She looked up at him standing there before him in nothing but a black bra and thong and said, "It's a skin graft. I fell off the side of the freeway and rolled down a hill, I was in the mud and dirt, and when I was able to crawl out I didn't get far before some sweet little lady found me I told her not to call the cops, but she said she saw me fall out of a moving car and the ambulance came and picked me up. She was there when I came out of surgery, and when I woke up. She tried to take care of me for a while, but I knew that I had to see what had become of Jacob, so I ran from her one night. I showed up where my mom and Jacob were, and Jacob wasn't there. I asked her where he was, but she just kept saying he ran away. Something was wrong though and I knew it, there was too many nice things lying around. It took a bit, but I knew what she did, she sold him off to try to get enough money to buy her way back into my dad's favor. I wanted nothing more than to kill her, and I would like to say that I didn't because I was stronger then that, but the truth is that I was still weak from everything I had been through and too beaten to be much of a threat. I screamed at her and she coward down and told me whom she sold him to. He was lucky; he got away before he got to wherever he was going. I found him in a bookshop talking to the books like a crazy kid. I took him and tried to make him live proper in my mother's house until about a month later my father came looking for me there. We ran."

"And ended up at my doorstep." It wasn't a question Emmett knew it to be a fact.

She nodded and broke down on the floor at the foot of the bed crying. Picking her up Emmett carried her into the bathroom and lay her down on the bathmat as he poured bubbles into the tub from the counter full of complementary soaps and such. He started the water and came back to her wrapping her in his arms and said, "Never again little cowgirl, never again. I will take care of you ok Darlin'?"

She didn't answer him. Almost every part of her was screaming to say yes, ok, please take care of me, you can protect me, I know it, but there was some small part of her that knew that was too good to be true.

When the bath was full Emmett stood up and tuned to walk away saying, "go ahead get undressed and take a bath, call me if you need me Darlin'"

"NO!" Rose screamed, "Stay, please." He turned back to her to see her unsnap her bra, her plump breast bouncing loose and shimmying out of her thong. Emmett felt his thought go dry and his cock stiffen, but pushed it aside as he lifted her and placed her into the bath. She closed her eyes and laid her head back against the edge of the tub sighing. Emmett cupped a handful of water in his hand and began to wash her hair gently as she leaned into his palm. Emmett sighed and looked down at the woman who had turned his world and shook it; he didn't know what to do with her. He really was terrified that he might be in love with her, he couldn't support her, of course he had the money, but could he support her emotionally? Should he even try? He should just walk away from her, but how could he? He had to say to protect her from the world, but who would protect her from him?


	16. Chapter 16

AN: incase you haven't figured it out yet, if your not of age seriously quit reading this story, thats all I'm gonna say

As Emmett was finishing washing her hair, Rose started to think like her old self again. She had let him see her naked, he was kneeling beside the tub running his large hands through her long hair stripping it of the last remints of excess soap. She mentally shrugged, nothing she could do with him now would expose her the way that the truth had, so what did it matter if she was naked, hell what did it even matter if they were fucking, he wouldn't stay with her once he got over the shock and guilt and realized how fucked up she was. She should take it while she could and be happy for whatever she got. The idea of him refusing her and pushing her away crossed her mind and she hesitated, normally she would be all for that idea, a man that didn't take advantage of having sex with her, but now looking up into Emmett's clear blue eyes filled with emotions that she could not or would not understand, she feared it. Why should I, she though, he said that he had cared about her, he had even used the word love, although sex wasn't an act of love, maybe he would stay if she proved that he wasn't too damaged to be a good time in bed.

She was just finishing her thought when Emmett said, "Come on dear you're all done lets get you dried off and into some pjs so you can sleep, you've had a rough night Darlin'."

Rose stood less robotically and more seductively and Emmett swallowed hard trying not to stare at her body, but failing miserably. She stepped out of the tub wringing out her hair, her body glistening and smooth in the warm light of the bathroom. A few bubbles clung to her and Emmett felt the urge to reach out and pop them running his hands long her body, but he knew he couldn't so he bit back the urge and handed her a towel. Rose dried her body quickly, but thoroughly, and wrapped her hair in it. Jaw clenched and shoulders tight with restraint Emmett turned away saying, "Come on then lets get you into some cloths" and gestured for her to follow him. He was already so hard it hurt, and he needed to get that body covered up before he decided she wasn't allowed to.

"Wait" she said not moving.

Fuck, no waiting, Emmett thought, dear God all mighty no waiting please; I'm only a man. He turned around and faced her nonetheless, but she was much closer than he had expected. She reached up and wrapping a leg around his levered herself up to kiss him. Emmett restrained a groan, but couldn't help kissing her back, she pressed her tongue against his lips asking for entrance, but he would not give it knowing if he did he would not stop there. At his resistance she nipped his lip making him open his mouth in protest, and slid her warm tongue in tracing first the roof of his mouth, then the bottom side of his tongue playing with it. He couldn't take it any longer; he wrapped his hands around her bare waist and lifted her to him feeling her plump bare breasts against his nightshirt and her hips pressed against his sweatpants covered erection. She groaned at the closeness and he just about dropped his own pants then and there, but instead he pulled the towel off of her head and wound his hand in her hair using it to pull her ever closer to him. He picked her up and walked over to sit on the oversized bathroom counter. She wound her bare smooth legs around his waist as they kissed and now seated on his lap facing him and straddling his middle, she began to grind her ass against his erection giving him playful teasing kisses.

Emmett broke away saying huskily, "Rose, Darlin' we have to stop."

"Why?" She asked in a smooth low sexy voice that was more felt than heard as she leaned in to let her breath hit the back of his ear as she spoke.

Emmett rolled his head whether out of pleasure or avoidance nether was sure, "because I don't want to hurt you or scare you. Don't get me wrong darlin' I want this, but we need to take it slow, I don't want you to do something your going to regret."

"Emmett, I seriously doubt you are into such kinky sex that you could possibly hurt me more than I already have been, and do I look scared to you?" she asked between placing hot kisses down the side of his neck and pulling his shirt back enough to get at his collar bone.

His skin was hot, his senses were all blurring together to focus on her and the pleasure she brought him. It was hard to think, hard to remember why they shouldn't. Why shouldn't they after all, they were both adults, they both wanted this. She was so fucking sexy, and he knew that when it was all over, he wouldn't let her go anywhere, he was going to keep her, she was going to be his, so why shouldn't he take what was his especially when she offered it up on such a voluptuous gilded platter? With that last thought he picked her up and capturing her mouth back in his so that he could unleash the full force of his passion into her, carried her back to his bed.

It had been like a light switch turning on, all the sudden Emmett went from hesitant to full blown passion making her skin light on fire. The way that he kissed her was nowhere near how it had been with the serving boy at her dad's that had been her only real boyfriend. Emmett was a man, in such away that she was not merely captured by his masculinity, and passion, but she was enveloped by it. It became the air that she breathed, the fire between their lips, the electricity between their skins. She felt as if without him filling her with his presence she would simply drift off devoid of the life giving elements themselves. That brought her to what wasn't filling her, and what she so desperately wanted to fill her. Laying on the bed now Emmett on top of her kissing her and running his hands up her sides making them jump with electricity, Rose began searching for what she so strongly desired careful not to break their inferno of a kiss. Before she could reach him he captured one of her breasts in his hand and began rolling around his palm toying with her peeked and aching nipple. She groaned into his mouth losing her train of thought, all will to search escaping with her lungful of air. Emmett took that opportunity to inch down her body and lap at her other nipple evoking a higher pitched more desperate whimper from Rose.

Emmett felt Rose buckle and tremble under him as he worked his way around her body. He wanted more than anything to enter her, but first he wanted to hear her scream for him, to beg him for more, and for once, it was not because he desired the power of it. He wanted to know that she loved what he did to her, he wanted her to ask for more so that he could give it to her and make her happy all over again. He wanted her to feel everything that she had missed out on through her troubled life, and he wanted it to be him that gave her every great pleasure in the world. Emmett began inching his way down her stomach kissing it as he went and chucking a little as he felt her tummy quiver and jump with excitement. She was completely clean shaven even to the point of being soft, which he found odd, but ignored it as he skipped her dripping core and went to place a kiss on her thigh sucking lightly as he watched her face to see if she was ok with him touching her.

Rose wanted nothing more for him to burry himself inside her, but he seemed determined to drag their little game out, and she was of no mind to stop him. She noticed him looking at him from the fold of her thighs as he sucked what she was sure to be a hickey inside her right one. She smiled lightly at him in answer to his question before throwing her head back against the pillow from frustration, desire, and exquisite pleasure. She felt his hot breath at her core and squirmed waiting for his mouth to make first contact. He hitched her leg over one shoulder and lifted her body up slightly to meet him. Still kissing her thighs he ran his palm over her now available bottom. Rose was mid whimper with impatience when she felt his fingers graze her anal hole at the same moment that his mouth encased her core sucking lightly on her clit. Rose let out a low appreciative moan, she had never been into anal, but she did not mind being touched as long as it did not go to far. Before long Emmett set up a quick pace with his tongue flicking her clit rapidly as he moved between stroking her thighs and clamping his fingers into her butt. Rose could feel the tension climbing inside her body like a wave wanting to crest, but needing time to build up. Emmett moved to longer slower strokes almost lapping at her lazily, and to her surprise she began to climb even faster. Finally Emmett pressed a finger to her entrance and she tried to thrust herself upon it desperate for the penetration. Pushing his finger into her he began to move it around inside her as if to test her boundaries before swiftly he withdrew it causing her almost physical pain at the loss, and trust two fingers inside her pumping them in and out strongly as his tongue treated her clit with equal dominance. Rose knew it wouldn't be long now and she panicked wanted Emmett's cock to be inside her when she came for the first time in her life, "Emmett please; please Emmett fuck me." He ignored her though and it wasn't long before her core of built up tension shattered like rocks tumbling down and she was doubling over in spite of herself.

Emmett finished her out, and then moved up to lay beside her cradling her limp form in his arms. "Emmett," she said looking up at him half dazed half desperate, "I wanted you, I wanted you to have sex with me, real sex."

"And I shall Darlin', but who's to say you cant have a little fun first?"

"I mean like tonight, right now."

Emmett didn't bother to answer instead he stripped his shirt and pants down to his boxers and lay back beside her picking up her hand and placing it on his bare chest, "I am yours Darlin'."

Rose ran her hand across his smooth tanned chest and allowed her fingers to fall into the divots that defined his detailed muscles. She loved the way he looked and felt and smelled, the way his voice sounded and the way his tongue and skin tasted against hers, but she really wanted to feel him inside her right now, and she could admire the rest later. She let her hands fall to his boxers where she somewhat shyly began to push them off until he helped her by removing them and wrapping her small hand around his large hard cock. He smiled at her encouragingly and she began to move her hand over it making him groan in pleasure. She was soaked as she felt and then saw the girth and length of him, she had seem more than thirty men, and none were nearly as well off as he, she wondered if it would hurt, him fucking her, but she pushed the worry out of her head as she said, "Emmett please."

He rolled her over onto her back gently and then spread her legs to sit between them. Emmett reached over to the night desk and opened a drawer pulling out a condom hoping she would not ask why it had been there in the first place, he had had a feeling about this trip, and neither one of them needed a child right now. Ripping open the package and rolling it on he turned back to her where she gave him a questioning look before he ran a finger over her core making sure that she was wet enough, then leaning into kiss her lined himself up with her entrance.

Emmett wanted nothing more to thrust into her up to his hilt, but he was large, and he did not want to hurt her. As slowly as he could muster he pushed on her opening and slid into her half way and looked at her. "You ok darling'?"

"More please" she pleaded and he obeyed pushing into her the rest of the way. They both groaned and held still for a moment. She was so fucking tight and wet, he could feel her entirely, and he never wanted to leave. Had he been less focused on the woman in front of him, and the feeling of being enveloped by her, he might have laughed at his dick trying to tell him it had found a new home and would be moving in effective immediately, as it was all he wanted was more. He began to pull out and push into her, slowly at first, but then as he heard her sounds of pleasure, and his own grew he sped up bringing them to a higher plane then either had gone before.

Rose came first her whole body shattering and convulsing with pleasure that was so foreign and strong that it almost scared her, and it was Emmett with his arms wrapped tightly around her that kept her together. Emmett was not long after, both egged on by her climax and not wanting to push her anymore if she was sore or tired he pushed himself to come sooner.

Puling out of her and discarding the condom and its wrapper he went back and lay beside Rose taking her in his arms where she burrowed into his chest exhausted as he whispered, "I love you little cowgirl."

She looked up at him studying him for a moment and then herself, she felt something so different for him she did not know what to call it her heart was filled like a balloon, that she knew only he could pop, was that love? She was not sure so she said, "If I knew what love was I would say I love you too, but as it is Mr. Cullen, I think I might love you too." Emmett beamed at her and she melted within his blue eyes her balloon, now decidedly blue, swelled even a little more.

"Go to sleep my love," and turned out the light pulling her closer to is hard muscled chest with his deliciously muscled arms and she sighed contentedly.


	17. Chapter 17

Jacob decided not to come down to dinner, that night, but only five minutes after it should have started there was a rap at his door. Standing gloomily he opened it to find Jasper standing outside.

"Jacob, son are you ill?" he said worriedly stepping towards Jacob and placing a hand against his forehead, "you don't look well is something bothering you?"

"No Sir." Jacob lied.

Jasper considered him for a moment then asked, "do you miss your sister?"

"Of course, but im fine."

"Then come on down son and have dinner, there is someone very important that I want you to meet, she will be joining our little family now."

"Our?"

"Yes Jacob, our. You must understand that you are always welcome here as my family, even if her life takes your sister elsewhere, you have a home here with me."

"Really?" Jacob asked an undisguised glimmer of hope in his dark eyes.

"Of course, now come along dinner is getting cold."

Jacob nodded, but turned from Jasper to say to his book friends, "See you're not the only ones who are going to stay my friends."

To which the red one replied, "Just see how long it lasts little boy, then see how long I last" and Jasper looked between Jacob and the stack of books that he seemed to be addressing with suspicion.

Emmett woke at six as always, and noticed the sun rising out of his hotel window which still had the shades drawn open. The presence of the woman in his arms was not something that he could say he noticed, but simply because he had been aware of her even as he slept. Needing to use the restroom he tried to extract himself from her slowly and carefully praying that he would not wake her, which of course he did.

Rose had felt the strong man sleeping beside her all night, known the comfort of his arms and the regularity of his heart beat. It was when he began to move away from her however, that she panicked clutching onto him and springing from sleep. "Where are you going?" she gasped her hands clutching to him in any way that they could.

"Shhhhhhh Darlin'," he soothed, "I'm just gettin' myself up to take a piss go back to sleep I'll be right back"

She held on a moment longer before his words hit her and she let him go. As he walked off she though about the night before, she had kissed him, they had had sex, he had made her feel wonderful, he had said that he loved her, she had not known what to say back, but considered the idea that she might love him back. Now that she was not caught up in the moment, she could not deny the possibility that she did love him, but she had to ask herself if she was capable of really loving as damaged as she was.

As he relieved himself Emmett thought over the night before in much the same way, but he had no doubt that he loved her. Rather, he was worried as to whether or not it was right of him to love her, or if it was fare of him to pursue that love. He was, after all, a soon to be thirty year old rancher who worked all day in the hot sun with the hands and the cows. He came in at night hot, stinky, tired, and most likely horny if she kept working there, she deserves better than such a man in her bed every night. The other fact was that she was only just turned twenty-three, and while it was perfectly legal and seven years, six if he was being fare, but he did not feel that he deserved fare, was really not so big a gap or adults. The problem was that she was not really an adult. She had come to him in need of work with a talent for horses, but for all he knew she dreamed of being a dancer, or a lawyer, or some other such thing that he could not offer her, and if that was the case it was not fare for him to keep her there with him, and he knew that if she was to be his, he would not tolerate her leaving for a long period of time like she would need to go to school.

As he walked back into the room he saw her beautiful frame laying on the bed, his bed, her cream skin and the way it faded to tan where the sun had beat some color into it. Taking larger strides he strode back to the bed and wrapped her in him wanting nothing more than to hold her and forget his every worry, so he did.

"Shouldn't we get up?"

"No Darlin' its only six fifteen or so, the auction isn't until noon."

"Mmmmm" she said rolling over and going back to sleep burrowed into his chest, and taking her cue he did the same drifting off once again.

When Jasper woke the next morning he almost hummed with pleasure as he could smell his beautiful wife somewhere near by and reaching for her found her curled around her rounded belly at the edge of their bed. He pulled her closer and wrapped her in his arms nuzzling her hair and kissing behind her ear.

"Hmmmm" she said groggily and burrowed into him even more.

Jasper kissed her temple and said, "I've got to get up love and see Jacob off, but you just lye here and sleep my little lady, and I will come back for you in a while once everything is settled."

"I can get up," she said and stretched.

"You don't have to love, it's early still. Don't worry about it."

"I wouldn't mind seeing Jacob off, I like him, he's such a sweet boy. A little off though don't you think?" She asked sitting up and focusing her attention on Jasper.

"Jacob and Rose have had a hard odd life, it is only to be expected, but yes I agree I am worried about him." They got up and started getting ready for the day.


	18. Chapter 18

It was almost eleven when Rose woke up again glancing at the clock and startling herself with the time. She nudged Emmett awake saying, "Emmett, its eleven, come on we've got to get up."

"Uhhhhhh?" Emmett groaned and pulled the entire comforter over his head in one great tug.

"Come on you dolt, we have to go to the auction, they are doing the drafts today for you, we have to be there."

"That's later."

"No it's not its in an hour, and we're not even dressed!" she said shoving on him and trying to pull the blanket away.

Emmett sighed sleeply and released the blanket before glairing up at her and saying, "You really know how to wake a man up don't you cowgirl?"

She smacked him playfully across the bare chest and said, "Should I have been sucking you off?" as she got up to get dressed.

She had meant it as a joke, but Emmett had been worried that she would think their arrangement casual and of a more sexual then emotional level so he leapt from the bed and followed her. Grabbing her arm and turning her to look at him he said, "That was not what I meant Rose, this isn't about sex for me."

Rose smiled at him and patted his scruffily face saying, "I know dear," and standing on tip toes to kiss him softly on the lips before turning to her bag to find a clear pair of underwear.

Jacob was happy to see that both Jasper and Alice were at the table with him for breakfast that morning even if they were a little late. He was finding Alice to be a happy bubbly person, even if she often kept it hidden behind her military mask. He was unsure of how she had been able to hold a gun much less shoot one she was so tinny. He wondered if she was even five foot and doubted that she could hit a hundred pounds even being pregnant with twins.

They lead him to the bus stop and when the bus came he waved at Jasper, but when he turned to wave to Alice she was there with open arms, so he hugged her tinny frame, and it felt nice to feel as if he had parents sending him off to school on the bus. He loved his sister, but he was a burden to her, at least with these people he knew that the food he ate wasn't coming of their already small plates. She also never had the leisure time to spend enjoying the little things with him, not that he begrudged her the lost time, in fact he admired her work ethic and was thankful for everything she had done, but some part of him was lost, and felt as if he had had parents like Alice and Jasper there for him he could have grown to be a much different, much more mature fourteen year old.

Alice and Jasper walked back up towards the car after the bus had left. Usually he and Jacob liked the long walk, but with Alice on crutches and pregnant they had decided to take the car to the road where the bus would pick Jacob up. Jasper was glad that Alice had liked Jacob, he was rather attached to the boy, and hoped that he would stay with them should Rose ever decide to leave. "Well then my dear, where to?" He asked her.

"I don't know, I mean I feel so worthless not doing anything, but in my state there just isn't much that I can do."

"No love, nor should you try, you need to heal, and let our babies grow. You've been through enough already."

"I know. Why don't we go back to the house and you can tell me all about Jacob's sister the horse mistress."

Jasper smiled and said, "As you wish it m'lady so it shall be." Before turning the car around in the drive and heading back to the house.

Emmett and Rose made it to the auction grounds just in time to get to their seats and get settled before the auction began.

The announcer came on and said, "Welcome again Ladies and Gentlemen to the Cullen Draft auction. We have a fine collection of every draft and draft cross here at the auction this week, and we are going to show them off one by one. There are twenty seven of these oversized beasts, so choose wisely. First up we have a beautiful Haflinger mare, cream in color with sturdy legs and build for even your widest of cowboys. She stands at fourteen hands, gets a four for experience, and a eight for temperament." The mare was low to the ground and stocky built with kind eyes and no inters in the crowd or her handler who was tugging on her rope to get her to trot.

"Hell no" said Emmett eyeing me suspiciously.

"No I agree, I wasn't really thinking Haflinger when I said a draft, she's too small with no attitude or life in her at all, I could make her work, but she'd be a bore. You need something that you can tower over the others and be in command with, not her." Emmett looked mollified for the moment, but watched her suspiciously nonetheless.

The second horse was a percheron gelding, he was a little better, in size and attitude, but he was overly bulky and not very agile. She gave him the thumbs down as well.

Eight horses with no bids from the Cullens later The actioner was getting a bit antsy wondering if he had anything that the man would like and assuming correctly that the horse was for Emmett Cullen himself.

The ninth horse however, caught everyone's eye. "This ladies and gents is one of three stallions in our lot today, weighing in at more than a ton he stands eighteen point one hands tall. He is a Clydesdale Paint cross, but his mamma was a paint thoroughbred which leans him down a bit making him more agile. He gets a six for experience and a four for temperament." The horse entered the ring at a trot clearly assuming that he handler would keep up like a good human, which she did. He was large and in charge showing himself off. Rose let out a little gasp when he turned to face the audience. His facial markings were that of a warrior's mask, where the white blaze that went from forehead to muzzle bled out on both sides to include his eyes both of which were a pure crystalline blue. He was truly beautiful pure black with white paint markings only showing on his legs as they came up all the way to where his legs connected with his body tapering in a sharp angled line. His tail body, mane tail and neck were pure black, and his whole body rippled with well defined muscles.

"You like him?" Emmett asked almost hopefully.

"He's perfect." Rose said breathless.

"A stallion though, don't want to be distracting the other horses on the ranch. They already have a stallion and that's me."

"Well that's your problem then." She said teasing him as he elbowed her gently. "Don't worry about it, it's simple, you tell him what to do he tells the others what to do and everyone does their job."

"If you say so." He said

"The starting bid for this fellow is an outrageous twelve thousand dollars."

Emmett raised his eyebrows at Rose asking for an opinion on the price.

"Twenty five." She said almost to herself biting her fingernail. Emmett's eyebrows shot up and Peter standing behind them coughed, "His semen is worth two thousand a load at least if someone takes the time to collect it, and he'll make a wonderful horse." She defended.

"If his semen is worth two thousand a load juts imagine what mine must be worth." Emmett teased earning himself a swat on the shoulder before he stood to start the auction.

They ended up getting the stallion for twenty one thousand and Rose was very pleased. They ended up choosing three more from the lot, a seventeen and a half hand Dapple gray pure Shire gelding, a seventeen bay Percheron cross mare, and a Cream colored Gypsy Vanner Gelding with a black mane and tail who only stood sixteen and a half hands, but was nicely built and held the rare coloration called buckskin.

After the auction ended they went back to the tent and stalls to meet with the vets and owners. Rose started with the Silver dapple gelding and in coalition with the doctors gave him a clean bill of health and after talking with Emmett about using him for some of their larger hands Emmett paid the owner his seven thousand and the lot went on their way.

Next was the Buckskin Gypsy horse to which Rose said, "Well, let's see you then, I'm afraid I'm going to have to send you back to our owner though even a pretty and well trained as you are."

"Wh why?" The owner stammered in surprise seeing his nine thousand flash before his eyes no doubt.

"His legs looked off from the stands, but I couldn't tell so I had him called back." She lifted his leg noting the severely flat angle of his feet and that the left front had almost no heel left and was in danger of dropping. His back right was club footed, meaning that the slope of the lower part of the horse's leg where an ankle joint was to straight up and down. She lifted that foot and pressed on the sensitive flesh inside the hoof called the frog. The horse pulled back from her touch and the more she felt around the more she was sure of her synopsis. "Sir?" She asked the owner, "Have you been trying to compensate for his clubbed foot by shaving the heals of his hooves and changing to change the angle of the pastern?"

"Well Miss, He's always been a little wonky but he's always been sound."

"Well then congratulations Sir, you have ruined a perfectly decent horse. He's foundering. No one will take him now unless you can trick them into missing that."

"Foundering Miss?"

"Yes, the internal bones of a horse's leg and hoof look quite similar to the outside, there is a hoof shaped bone connected to a straight bone connected to a ball and socket joint. You have been shaving down the hooves and therefore making the straight bone lay more and more parallel to the ground, this puts pressure on the hoof shaped bone, called the coffin bone, and the cartilage that cushions it. You have made this horse put so much pressure in fact that there is no cartilage left, and the horse's coffin bone is starting to tip forward and actually pierce the tissues on the bottom of the hoof. If you look at his clubbed foot," she said picking it up to show them, "You can see this hoof shaped imprint in the frog and starting to crack the actual hoof itself, that is the coffin bone pushing its way though the skin. You will see bone within the month and he wont be able to walk on it without considerable pain."

"I had no idea." Said the owner as Emmett, arms crossed glared at the man. "He was my sister's, she died a few years ago and we haven't been able to let him go so we just kept him and kept him healthy and let my daughter and her friends play around on him. I know almost nothing about horses."

"Really?" Emmett asked still glairing the man down.

"I believe it." Rose said.

The man looked at Emmett who was giving him a kinder look now and said, "Well can't you at least take him off our hands for free, just take care of him, fix him?"

Emmett looked at the sadness in Rose's eyes and knew what she would say before she said it, "No, He's too far along, we would just have to end up putting him down."


	19. Chapter 19

The bay mare was also cleared and the owner was paid before the last owner and the vet moved with Emmett and Rose to the final horse, the stallion.

"Now Sir," the owner said addressing Emmett a bit nervously, "I'm sure your new mistress, horse mistress that is," He corrected quickly "is a fine trainer, and she's made a good pick of horses so far, I've been impressed, but this horse, well Sir, he takes a strong hand, and has quite the stubborn streak. I should recommend that you be the one to inspect him."

"I'll be fine" Rose laughed entering the horse's stall without a backwards glance at the men standing around her. Emmett shrugged at the owner and watched as Rose ran her hands over the stallion's body. The stallion was half paying attention to Rose and half to the mare in the stall diagonal from his and began to snort and paw at the ground throwing his head. Rose ignored his antics continuing to run her hands over him and inspect him from various angles. She was about to bend down to pick up a hoof when he began bumping her with his head, his member fully erect and flared as he watched her. Rose sighed internally stallions were so predictable. Emmett was about to reach in and grab her out when she suddenly turned on the stallion smacking it will all her might on the shoulder that was nearest her. The stallion pulled its head back in surprise as Rose in a loud stern voice said, "Enough of that young man, I am no mare of yours." She took a step towards his rear and kicked him gently inner the belly in the soft flesh half a foot or so from his erect manhood, "And put that away, you won't be needing it." She said as he jumped again from the unpleasant contact and retracted himself looking at her with weary eyes.

"Well I'll be," Said the owner "Maybe she can take him on." Emmett grunted in the aftermitive and the Owner continued by saying, "Bit worrisome though isn't it, I'm not sure I'd like to be turned down that way."

Emmett let out a deep chuckle and said, "Nor would I Bro, nor would I." and shuddered slightly.

Rose continued her inspection, but when it came to the last check, his feet he refused to lift them. She leaned into him with all her might, pinched his tendon, pulled on it, but nothing made him budge. "You little twat." She said smacking his belly. That made him stomp his foot in protest as Emmett came in to see if he could help. Pulling on his foot once more Rose made an effort to lift it, but all she ended up getting was a nuzzle to the backside which Emmett shooed away saying, "Hey now, find your own girl that one's mine."

"Want help" He asked coming up in front of her to see what he might do.

"Ya" She said standing up in momentary defeat, "go get a halter to fit him, and a bit of rope and a lead. He has to learn to respect me when you're not around."

Shaking his head Emmett fetched the desired items and handed them to her. She put the halter on him tying the rope onto one of the metal fixings on the right side of his face, and running it over his nose to the one on the right side. She went through that one, then through the one on the bottom before tying it off to the cotton lead. With this rig when she pulled on the lead the rope would tighten over his nose and allow her more control with less physical effort on her part. It also would most likely keep him from lifting her straight up into the air, his head, after all, when lifted high, was more than two feet above her head.

She led the stallion from his stall and immediately felt him tug against her towards the grassy lawn. Sitting back with her body she tugged backwards repeatedly on the rope insisting that he back up until head high with surprise at her strict handling he backed up until his nose was even with her shoulder once more. She made him stand there for several moments before taking another few steps forward until he tried to push past her again. This process was repeated several times until when Rose walked the horses walked at an even pace with her never pushing ahead or falling behind, and when Rose stopped so did the stallion. As she moved to the right he moved away from her respecting her space, and as she moved left he followed without being tugged. This done and respect gained she lead him back into his stall, removed the halter, and lifted all four feet performing her final health checks.

Once she was satisfied that there was no noticeable injuries she left the stall and allowed the vet to enter with his xray machine. Emmett pulled her into a hug and then released her to the owner as he addressed her saying, "I'm sorry for this misunderstanding earlier Miss, I just didn't want to see you gettin' bullied around."

"Understandable," Rose said dusting off her hands, "He's a heard leader, I know the type."

"Well you handled him well Miss."

"Thank you."

The vet having finished his X-rays Emmett paid the man and he went on his way leaving Rose and Emmett with the company of the three horses. Their days work done they went back into the air conditioned portion of their private stables and looked out of the large glass window that made up the while front of the room watching as people and horses alike walked by.

"Are we done here today?" Rose asked.

"Not quite my dear, I have one more business transaction to take care of before we can be off, but lets see if they left us any grub in this fridge since it's almost three in the afternoon and we haven't eaten today." Sure enough there was a meat and cheese tray as well as a vegetable tray in the fridge and a cracker tray atop it. They pair sat on the couch a comfortable distance apart as they started eating, but it wasn't long before Emmett said, "Come'ere," pulling Rose against him and leaning heavily on the arm of the sofa, "I gotta keep my hands off you when were on the ranch, no point in denying me now." Rose giggled and laid her head against his shoulder as she nibbled on the spread before them. She noticed that Emmett was more interested in the meats and ate more heavily herself from the cheese and veggies.

Eventually after more than half an hour of the pair cuddling and talking over their lunch there was a knock on the glass door, and Rose saw a rather small man standing outside looking away from the door.

"Ah perfect timing, scuse me doll" Emmett said heaving his mass off the couch and letting the man in.

"Sir, I have them for you. Fifteen new saddles in five sizes, plus uh…" he glanced nervously at Rose and said, "Your uh special order Sir."

"Wonderful as always Jimmy," Emmett said slapping the man on the back of his shoulder making him stumble a little, "Bring that special order in for me will you?"

"Of course Sir." The man said finally straightening himself out and leaving to pull something out of the flat bed he had pulled up in.

The man came in first with a saddle stand shaped like a horse's back and placed it in the middle of the room before coming back and placing a beautiful saddle atop it. Rose stood in awe of the saddle for several long moments as Emmett checked it over from one end to the other top and bottom. "Why don't you explain to the little lady here what we've got here." Emmett suggested to the small man Jimmy.

"Sure thing. Well Miss, what we have here is a prime example of custom craftsmanship. This saddle is a square skirted western saddle. The horn is wrapped such that roping won't damage it, the swells in the front and cantle in the back are both deeper than normal for breaking horses to give one more security in the saddle. The underside is double wide, and double flocked so that a narrow horse will be able to make use of the extra cushioning, and a wider horse can still be comfortable in the saddle. The whole saddle is premium leather, and the fixings are sterling silver." The saddle was beautiful, intricately carved with flowers and other designs through the leg flaps, the cinches, and the swells, and there was a mural of what Rose recognized to be a woman on a horse cutting cattle in a field. Flames were used to darken the etched out parts to make the contrast and thus the design visible from a distance. Each fixing was engraved with a rose the intricacy and size depending on the size of the fixing, but the cap atop the horn, although flat and smooth was designed to look like a three dimensional rose. The seat was cream leather along with the wrap on the horn and stirrups and unaltered except for dark stitching that ran through it matching the leather of the rest of the saddle, which was a dark rich brown.

"It's the most beautiful saddle I've ever seen." Rose exclaimed in complete awe of the artisanship before her. She couldn't even fathom what the saddle must have cost, but it was more than ten thousand dollars she would guess.

"I agree Jimmy, you out did yourself. I should give you an open budget more often." Said Emmett with a chuckle.

"What will you do with it?" Rose asked him almost expecting him to say that he felt the house needed a new statue.

"Ride in it." He said chuckling.

Rose looked at him confused before saying, "It's way too small for you; you'd never stay in it."

This made Emmett really laugh, the sound resonating in the room, and even little Jimmy was smiling patiently at Rose. "Not me dear."

"Then…" She trailed of coming to the conclusion that there were only two people at the ranch who would fit in that saddle, and she doubted it was for Jacob.

She looked up at Emmett almost begging for conformation of her theory and he laughed once more before giving her a hug and saying, "Well, aren't you going to try it out?"

"On one of the horses?" She asked still a little in shock.

"Sure thing little cowgirl; who do you want to ride? How bought that draft mare, she's the smallest of the lot" but Rose was shaking her head and he knew who she would put the saddle on before she said it.

"The stallion" She said and Emmett let out a huff as if to say 'I should have known'.

"That bruiser you bought from the draft auction? My little lady, you sure know how to make a scene don't you." Said Jimmy shaking his head, "This little lady, in that little saddle, on that mammoth; s'pose I know what I'm doin' next." Emmett chuckled as Jimmy left to his truck.

Rose looked up at Emmett and said, "This is for real isn't it?"

"Every bit of it." He said kissing her sweetly on the forehead.


	20. Chapter 20

Fifteen minutes later Peter was showing them to an arena where an auction had just finished, and Rose was leading the stallion by his bridal reins.

"Emmett?" Rose said.

"Hm?"

"What are you gunna name this guy?"

"Hmmm I've been thinkin' 'bout that too. I was thinking Comanche Warrior."

Rose giggled, "Because he's a paint with a warrior mask marking on his face?"

Emmett just smiled and nodded.

"Well then Comanche, you be good for me in front of all these people." Rose said as she looked around in slight terror at all of the people who were still seated in the stands.

The saddle looked so tiny on Comanche's back that it almost made Rose herself laugh and the boys hadn't let her alone yet, so it wasn't much of a surprise that she had to get a leg up to mount the beast. The horse fidgeted under her and she soothed him with her voice and a hand in his mane. He stilled momentarily before a flash from a camera in the stands set him on edge again. He jumped and looked at the direction the flash came from ears priced and nostrils flaring. He let out a loud whinny that was shrill and almost sounded like a child's scream and more flashes began to appear as people took out cameras and phones in the dimly lit arena stands.

Rose decided that all this young stallion needed was a job to distract him so she spurred him into motion and sent him forward in front of her leg at a trot. In his excitement and fear he lifted his knees high and used his powerful back legs to launch himself forward with great gusto. She sent him to go around the wall that was the edge of the arena and used her inside leg to keep him on the rail while using her hand on the reins and her outside leg to keep him straight. After he went around the rail smoothly and straight for a while she put on a little bit more inside leg and this time she pulled his head over to the inside a well asking him to move his shoulders slightly off the straight track that he was on so that his front inside foot made a track of its own, the inside back and outside front were in line with one another, and his outside back made a third track. He tried to resist turning his whole body instead of just his shoulders, but Rose gave him a sharp tap with her spur on the inside to keep his body and rump in line with the wall. The stallion flicked his ears and tail at Rose and pranced in irritation at her demands, but after a few tries he began to bend and flex for her so she let him go around for a bit before changing directions and making him bend the other way.

Bringing him down the center line of the arena so that she could use the full length and breath of it Rose stopped Comanche and made him stand and relax for a moment. It took several seconds before he stood still, but eventually he did, although he continued to mouth the bit and flex his powerful neck, frothy foam dripping from his lips. Rose was happy to see him engaging with the bit so much, she knew form the few horses as nice as Comanche that she had ridden before that all of that was a sign that the stallion was happy and ready to work more. From their position on the center line on the far side of the arena Rose pressed the stallion into a canter then a gallop. She rode him straight for about half the arena before throwing her weight and hands to the left and feeling the horse under her leap left. Pressing her feet forward, seat back, and taking up on the reins a tad she pulled the horse to a sliding stop. He was clearly well trained in reigning, but Rose was wondering how he would do with a calf when Emmett whistled at her to come over.

"So cowgirl, how's the saddle?"

"Like riding on a cloud, honestly I haven't much noticed it which is exactly how a saddle should feel."

He smiled and gave Jimmy another oversized pat on the back before saying, "And do you like my horse?"

"If he cuts cows half as well as he does reins he'll do just fine."

"Well then lets get ourselves a calf shall we? That saddle aint just for training anyway, its made for cuttin' and ropin' too."

Five minutes later, which Rose spent walking Comanche around letting him snort and scream at the crowd, there was a calf in a pin on the open side of the arena and a rope in Emmett's hand.

As Rose approached the pin with the calf she realized that this stallion had never seen a cow before. He started snorting and screaming at the calf and Rose could feel his muscles bunch as we went to rear up proving his dominance to this new creature. Rose turned him away and spurred him on several times knocking him out of stallion mode and pushing him on yelling to Emmett to release the calf. Stallions always need something to focus on apart from being a stallion Rose thought as she watched from the corner of her eye as the calf came bolting out of its pin.

Comanche was instantly aware of the calf again when he bolted from his pin, and wheeled to face it. Rose pushed him forward and soon they were thundering down upon the poor animal. Rose cut right to cut him off and, training taking over, Comanche cut for her. They made quick double turn cutting the calf off again and kept on cutting him into a corner until he was back in his pin.

She trotted Comanche over to Emmett and smiled down at him patting the beautiful stallion's neck and saying, "Not bad for a first go hu?"

"Not bad at all my little Cowgirl, not bad at all. Wanna rope?"

"Sure, but I'm not so sure that poor calf is up for another round." Rose said casting worried eyes on the pin where the calf was drinking thirstily. Emmett just laughed and pointed to the other end of the arena where another calf was being pressed into a shoot. He handed up the rope and held up a hog tie questioningly which she took as well.

She lined Comanche up behind the shoot and stilled him easing his nerves and coaxing him into a tense halt that he seamed ready to leap out of any second. Checking that everything was in place Rose nodded to the man controlling the gate and the calf came bolting out Rose and Comanche hot on his heals. Rose felt the weight and size of the lasso as she spun it and she knew the exact moment that it felt right in her hand and loosed securing both of the calf's horns and snapping it shut quickly. In less than a second Rose had the rope tied off to the saddle horn and was on the ground sprinting for the calf and grabbing its legs quickly she hogtied his legs together before standing back quickly her hands in the air awaiting the announcement of the official time as the crowd cheered around her. Her heat was beating strong and wild in her chest and her horse was snorting his superiority.

She had been fast, and she knew it, and she hadn't made any mistakes, or caused any fouls so why weren't they announcing her score?

"Rose" Emmett yelled a little worried.

The sound of Emmett's voice snapped Rose out of her memories and instincts after chasing and tying the calf. She stepped forward and loosed the calf and collected her rope up. She went back to Comanche and slinging her rope around the horn of the saddle she pulled the reins from his neck and began to walk him from the arena which she now realized were filled with auction attenders, not rodeo fans.

She had been so caught up in the rush of adrenaline and the instinct from her rodeo days that she forgot where she was and what she was doing. She was slightly ashamed of herself for the slip, and had a sneaking suspicion that Emmett was not going to let this go unnoticed.

"Way to go Sweetheart." Emmett said patting her back and taking the horse from her handing it off to a worker who was begging to un-tack and wash the great beast. Her performance made him think of something that he had never thought to ask her before; when and where had she learned to ride? Thinking back over the life history that he had been told, there wouldn't have been any time in her adult life that she would have even had time to ride horses, much less learn to hogtie a calf.

When they were back to the stalls Emmett asked, "Are you ready to go?" Rose just nodded and started gathering her things together and loading them into the truck.

Fifteen minutes later they found themselves in the lobby of their hotel and soon the elevator. Rose had said nothing since dismounting from Comanche and Emmett was pretty sure that he knew why. He had seen something that she did not want him to see and snow she was afraid all over again. He wondered as they walked into their room what specifically she was afraid of; was she afraid he would run and leave her, was she afraid he would be mad? He didn't know, but what he did know was that he never wanted her to be afraid again, and least of all of him.


End file.
